FAA inspectors raise questions at Northwest Tony Kennedy and Paul McEnroe Star Tribune Published October 2, 2005
On the first day Northwest Airlines began using replacement workers for its striking mechanics, the carrier's chief executive stressed that it was business as usual at the nation's fourth largest airline.
"Our operation is running smoothly," CEO Doug Steenland said.
Now, the Star Tribune has obtained reports filed by federal aviation inspectors during the first month of the strike that belie the orderly sense of calm that Steenland and other Northwest executives have sought to convey. The documents, reviewed by two independent aviation experts, describe training deficiencies among the replacement workers, thin staffing, maintenance blunders and mistakes in recording aircraft repairs -- a crucial safety discipline in the airline industry.
In one instance, mechanics failed to spot a dead bird in the engine of a plane about to leave Memphis, but a co-pilot saw it before takeoff. In another, inspectors watched replacement workers toil through the night to replace a brake -- a job that usually takes experienced mechanics less than three hours, according to experts consulted by the Star Tribune.
In the weeks leading up to the strike, Northwest took pains to assure travelers that its replacement workers were fully licensed and trained, and that safety would not be compromised.
Stephen Philion http://stephenphilion.efoliomn2.com/index.asp