Props to Oberstar and the House Transportation Committee

House Transportation Committee Chairman Oberstar and his staff deserve to be commended for their tremendous FAA oversight work.  The ripples from their recent hearings are continuing to be seen.  Not only have they forced the FAA and the airlines to take maintenance and inspections more seriously, but they also highlighted the plight of FAA whistleblowers who suffered retaliation for just trying to do their jobs.  I heard some blowback on the radio today--industry representatives suggesting that Congress should rethink this oversight, given the inconvenience to air travelers while the airlines perform the checks they should have already conducted.  Instead of rethinking oversight, someone should publicly thank Chairman Oberstar and the Transportation Committee for their terrific work.  Remember, the critics would be the first to point fingers if there had been a crash.

As usual, Jon Stewart said it best on Tuesday's Daily Show: "It's all sort of ironic, when you think about it.  When you fly, you are inspected quite thoroughly, whereas the plane itself is, perhaps, occasionally vacuumed.  See, with this administration, if a passenger blows up a plane, it's a 'failure in the war on terror,' but if the plane just blows up on its own, it's 'the market self-regulating.'"

-- Danielle Brian

Comments

[Posted on: Apr 16, 2008 at 10:26 AM]

Regarding your article "Props To Oberstar And The House Transportation Committee".

To those 'industry representatives suggesting that that Congress should rethink this oversight... " by Oberstar maybe they would prefer another TWA 800 like loss.

Seem harsh? Take a look at the AD that's behind all this inconvenience. First a Brief and then the URL to the Full Text AD document is provided.

Ref to

American Airlines.MD-80s (243 MD-82s, 93 md-83s) Inspected 291 A/C

Delta Airlines MD-80s ( 117 MD-88s, 16 MD-90s) Inspected 117 MD-88s Electrical wiring

Alaska Airlines ??

Midwest Airlines ??

Due By March 5, 2008

AD NOT COMPLIED WITH

AD 2006-15-15. DC-9-81 (MD- 81), DC-9-82 (MD-82), DC-9-83 (MD-83), DC-9-87 (MD-87), and MD-88 Airplanes. Within 18 months after the effective date of this AD, do a one-time general visual inspection for chafing or signs of arcing of the wire bundle for the auxiliary hydraulic pump, and do all applicable corrective and other specified actions, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of the service bulletin.. Effective September 5, 2006.

Approximately 732 airplanes of U.S. registry. up to $1,304 per airplane.

To prevent shorted wires or arcing at the auxiliary hydraulic pump, which could result in loss of auxiliary hydraulic power, or a fire in the wheel well of the airplane; and to reduce the potential of an ignition source adjacent to the fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane; accomplish the following:

One-Time Inspection

(a) For airplanes in Configurations 1 through 4, as defined in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin MD80-29A070, Revision 1, dated July 28, 2005: Within 18 months after the effective date of this AD, do a one-time general visual inspection for chafing or signs of arcing of the wire bundle for the auxiliary hydraulic pump, and do all applicable corrective and other specified actions, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of the service bulletin. Accomplish all applicable corrective actions before further flight after the inspection.

Installation of Additional Wiring Protection

(b) For airplanes in Configuration 4, as defined in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin MD80-29A070, Revision 1, dated July 28, 2005: Within 18 months after the effective date of this AD, install additional protective sleeving on the upper portion of the auxiliary hydraulic pump wire assembly in accordance with the procedures under Configuration 4 in the Accomplishment Instructions of the service bulletin.

AD Source; Link > http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library%5CrgAD.nsf/0/E1BF657E6FC3CE7D862571BC00643684?OpenDocument

========================

Oh yes, the FAA hasn't made public this specific document; nor have the carriers.

As Senator Cohen said of the FAA once years ago when grilling the FAA before his committee; "deny, defend , deflect ".