Does Anyone Else Have This Problem?

[BCpilot81]

ASA for the past few months, is putting band-aids on mx issues and deferring everything but wings and engines. Anyway, now that they hit cold wx, it all goes to hell. For example, stuck in PWM already 3 hours late. As of right now, plane is still in ATL. Not that I really care, it is only day 2 of 3, and I get paid for whatever changes to the sched. Also, I realize that wx in the upper NE is not the fault of any airline. But the "band-aids" are breaking again due to the wx. Dont mean to vent....well yes I do. Time for a smoke.

 

[sweptback]

It's the SkyWest method of maintenance. Defer everything you can to get the flight back on time. Maintenance has been told that even if it's an easy fix to defer it, but some mechanics will still fix things rather than defer it.

 

[Jon Rivoli]

Line MX's job isn't to fix planes, it's to keep them moving. When it goes in for service is when it get's fixed. Unless it's something really simple or the plane is AOG slap a sticker on it and move on.

 

[Oakum_Boy]

That's not the way it's supposed to work. I'm pretty sure the feds will catch up with that after a while.

 

[eaglefly]

That's not the way it's supposed to work. I'm pretty sure the feds will catch up with that after a while.

Actually, they can sticker the crap out of 'em and still be legal as long as none conflict and they're within their time limit.

It usually takes a fatal accident before the feds pay attention and even then it will be to deflect blame on everyone but their weak limits.

 

[xjcaptain]

While I would like all aircraft to be 100% all the time, it's not reality. What's the problem with operating under a valid MEL? Broken yes....but legally broken. No reason to delay or cancel flights when the flight can operate safely and legally. MEL's obviously have specified times, so they will be repaired when the time and parts are available.

 

[Andrew_VT]

For example, stuck in PWM already 3 hours late. As of right now, plane is still in ATL.

In managements defense, an ASA flight has never left PWM on time

 

[rjacobs]

I remember at TSA a mechanic told us that they would MEL an item and then when the MEL ran out, show the part on order to the FAA saying the part was back-ordered only to cancel the order the next day so that they could run a Cat B or C MEL for 3 or 4 times the legal time frame. I flew an airplane with 7 MEL's on it. Was weird coming to XJT and the first day of training the DO saying that with 274 airplanes we try to start the day with 7 MEL's fleet wide(that has held true, for the most part, for almost 2 years now).

 

[asayankee]

While I would like all aircraft to be 100% all the time, it's not reality. What's the problem with operating under a valid MEL? Broken yes....but legally broken. No reason to delay or cancel flights when the flight can operate safely and legally. MEL's obviously have specified times, so they will be repaired when the time and parts are available.

The problem is that they are deferring and item and once the timeframe runs out they perform some kind of BS fix like "cleaned cannon plug and reseated....ops check good" Well, on the very next flight it gets written up for the same thing and MX comes out and redeferrs the same system....essentially restarting the MEL clock without ever fixing anything. Happens all the time

 

[Beech Balls]

YOU GUYS ARE SISSIES!
Try starting your day with 17 MELs (my record)....and that's not system-wide, that's on your airplane....friggin stickers everywhere!
I LOOOVVVVVEEEEE DOIN' THE COLGAN! well....Colgannicle...Polgan....whatever we are now...