FAA fines Alaska Airlines $590,000 for improper installations

FAA fines Alaska Airlines $590,000 for improper installations

2011-09-10 09:31:03 GMT+7 (ICT)

SEATTLE (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday said it will fine Alaska Airlines nearly $600,000 for allegedly operating aircraft while they were not in compliance with federal regulations due to improper installations.

The FAA said the fine is the result of an investigation into a flight deck ceiling fire which occurred on a Boeing 737-400 aircraft on January 18, 2010, while it was parked at the gate of Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. Investigators determined the fire was caused by chafed wiring that had resulted from improper installation of a hose clamp.

The 737-400 maintenance manual includes an explicit warning about proper installation of the hose clamp in question, and the airline later discovered the same problem existed on nine other aircraft in its fleet. Alaska Airlines made corrections as a result and there were no other fires.

"Maintenance work has to be performed precisely and correctly every time. Improper maintenance can have serious consequences," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. As a result, the agency fined Alaska Airlines $590,000.

It is Alaska's first civil penalty from the FAA since January 2006, when the agency fined the airline $500,000 because it operated a Boeing 737 aircraft on 478 flights while the aircraft's emergency exit identifier lights were not working properly.

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