FAA Hits Atlantic Southeast Airlines With $400,000 Safety Fine

[Sherpa]

Ouch! $400,000 for a mechanic not signing off the paperwork. Oops.

By: Matt Molnar

A missing signature might cost Atlantic Southeast Airlines $400,000.
Safety watchdogs at the FAA have proposed the hefty civil penalty against the now defunct regional carrier.


Following some routine maintenance on a Bombardier CRJ in July 2010, ASA is accused of operating 49 revenue flights over an eight day span. The problem: No one signed off on the work.
“ASA maintenance returned the aircraft to service after routine work, but without an authorized signature on the airworthiness release and without an appropriate entry in the aircraft’s flight discrepancy log,” the agency said in a statement.
There was no accusation that the plane was unfit for service or that maintenance was performed incorrectly, but documentation failures are taken very seriously.
ASA ceased to exist as an independent entity in December 2011 when it merged with ExpressJet. Atlantic Southeast had previously operated flights on behalf of Delta Connection and United Express

 

[Flyguy1226]

Defunct regional carrier?

 

[ASA_Aviator]

Defunct regional carrier?

Yeah. ASA doesn't exist anymore.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Thank God the FAA is looking out for us...What would we do without them taking care of us....I'm sure they have never made a mistake with paperwork....

 

[SPDBRD747400]

It was a proposal of $400,000, we may never know how much they'll actually get fined if anything.

 

[Brasilia Pup]

Anyone know if it was a 200 or 700/900?
Just waiting for that email from a CP saying I flew that a/c without the proper sign-offs....

 

[ASA_Aviator]

Anyone know if it was a 200 or 700/900?
Just waiting for that email from a CP saying I flew that a/c without the proper sign-offs....

The company has been aware of this since it happened. Remember the two 200's that were damaged in BTR, then repaired? Those are the ones.

 

[Medeco]

Exactly what Joe said, what a joke...

 

[enuffalready]

As a pilot. I couldn't care less. that's at you problem.

 

[HA25]

Thank God the FAA is looking out for us...What would we do without them taking care of us....I'm sure they have never made a mistake with paperwork....

how is the merger/absorb with Skywest going anyway? You getting the same drama as when we talked about merging the Comair list? or is it going to go straight DOH?

 

[spudskier]

Anyone know if it was a 200 or 700/900?
Just waiting for that email from a CP saying I flew that a/c without the proper sign-offs....

They are looking for any reason they can find to suspend pilots these days...

 

[Freebrd]

As a pilot. I couldn't care less. that's at you problem.

not entirely, pilots required to check the can and make sure write-ups are signed off, just saying

 

[BuckMurdock1]

Thank God the FAA is looking out for us...What would we do without them taking care of us....I'm sure they have never made a mistake with paperwork....

"You didn't build that!"

 

[enuffalready]

not entirely, pilots required to check the can and make sure write-ups are signed off, just saying

i was referring to the $400,000 fine

 

[russtgol]

They are looking for any reason they can find to suspend pilots these days...

:crying: :crying: :crying: :crying:

 

[Redan]

Quote:
Originally Posted by spudskier
They are looking for any reason they can find to suspend pilots these days...

:crying: :crying: :crying: :crying:

Despite the little whiny emoticons, several peeps might agree with the assessment. Been called into CPs lately? Plenty of us have. Had any Training Dept run ins? Been burned by AQP yet? If you have you're not alone.

 

[Max Q]

I guess the company is doing what they feel is necessary to ensure that none of us are able to move on to bigger better things.

[donstinfoilhat]

 

[ohplease!]

Quote:
Originally Posted by spudskier
They are looking for any reason they can find to suspend pilots these days...





Despite the little whiny emoticons, several peeps might agree with the assessment. Been called into CPs lately? Plenty of us have. Had any Training Dept run ins? Been burned by AQP yet? If you have you're not alone.

Ummm...nope

 

[Ops check good]

I guess the company is doing what they feel is necessary to ensure that none of us are able to move on to bigger better things.

[donstinfoilhat]

Thanks for the laugh. The only person keeping you from bigger better things is yourself. The company did nothing wrong here, The MX/QC department failed to sign the paperwork correctly and all the pilots that flew the A/C failed to notice the missing signature. Happens ALLLL the time and that fine is not that bad.

 

[ASA_Aviator]

Thanks for the laugh. The only person keeping you from bigger better things is yourself. The company did nothing wrong here, The MX/QC department failed to sign the paperwork correctly and all the pilots that flew the A/C failed to notice the missing signature. Happens ALLLL the time and that fine is not that bad.

Well...., this case was a little different...but I hear ya. The crews did nothing wrong. No way for them to know.

 

[Clutch]

Happens alllllllllllllllllłłłłlLLłllllllłlllllłLLLLLLllllllllllllllllllłłłłłłłł the time, Bruh

 

[Max Q]

Thanks for the laugh. The only person keeping you from bigger better things is yourself. The company did nothing wrong here, The MX/QC department failed to sign the paperwork correctly and all the pilots that flew the A/C failed to notice the missing signature. Happens ALLLL the time and that fine is not that bad.

That's the joke. Nice work.

 

[Ops check good]

Max, Im glad that was a joke, I was fairly certain it was.

ASA_Aviator, correct me if Im wrong but I believe the PIC is required to make sure the AR is signed and there are no open write ups on the MX log after the A/C leaves scheduled MX then every other PIC needs to make sure there are no open write ups before each flight.... so the pilots played a part in this too.

 

[Oakum_Boy]

checking every last signature on all the logbook pages is a waste of time. What I look for are recurring issues that have been pencil whipped.

The management wants pilots to think they're responsible for everyone elses job at this place. Be that as it may, you'll never catch every last mistake. In the end, you'll still get blamed. Thankfully we have representation.

 

[Ops check good]

checking every last signature on all the logbook pages is a waste of time.

The management wants pilots to think they're responsible for everyone elses job at this place.

Really? they dont want you responsible for everyone else.... Its part of your job!!! Not to mention an FAR to not fly with an open write up. I wish I was so confident in representation that I could cut corners on the job. Good work ethic.

 

[Skaff]

Surprising that every pilot that took that plane didn't check for an airworthiness signature. That is private pilot 101 stuff.

 

[asayankee]

From what I understand it wasn't just a missing signature but maintenance they performed and never documented. It was never even put into the book. Not the pilots responsibility then. I believe they got caught because the book didn't match their computers when they got audited.

 

[701EV]

Do you know how many things are done to these airplanes that we never see in the can?

Way to many to count. They do all kinds of maintenance that is kept on the computer and in a log in maintenance.

Ever see an engine change or APU change in the can?

 

[Freebrd]

Ever see an engine change or APU change in the can?

matter of fact I have, numerous times, and it's required

 

[wms]

matter of fact I have, numerous times, and it's required

Actually it's not if its part of another procedure or inspection work card. Much of the detailed documentation is electronic. This leads to the problem of not believing mcc about the status of an airplane because they have given crews inaccurate info. Most planes I've gotten in cae that have had brake changes were not in the can.
Twice the job was not completed.