Southwest Airlines: Cracks found in 2 more planes

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By BOB CHRISTIE

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - Southwest Airlines says inspectors have found cracks similar to those that caused an airplane to lose pressure and make an emergency landing have been found in two more of its planes.

Southwest says in a statement Sunday that small, subsurface cracks were found in the two planes. The airline says inspectors will evaluate further and more repairs will be performed before the planes are returned to service.

A flight carrying 118 people rapidly lost cabin pressure after the plane's fuselage ruptured - causing a 5-foot-long tear - just after takeoff from Phoenix on Friday. Pilots made a controlled descent from 34,400 feet into Yuma, Ariz. No was injured.

Authorities say inspectors have found evidence of extensive cracking that hadn't been discovered during routine maintenance before Friday's flight.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110404/D9MCHASO0.html

[DFW]

1. Extensive cracking was NOT discovered during routine maintanence?

What do these inspectors inspect when they're not inspecting Southwest's aircraft?

Damaged nuclear power plants in northern Japan, maybe?

[BlueCollar]

6. Just saying...

"What we saw with Flight 812 was a new and unknown issue," said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest's executive vice-president and chief operating officer.

[proReality]

2. I don't think most of these inspections take place

here in the states anymore. At one point I heard much of that is done in Mexico.

[DaveofCali]

3. Ahh, don't you just love capitalism...

Putting profits over even safety...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39383369/ns/travel/

"In 2007, the Department of Transportation sampled 19 airlines and found that all of them were outsourcing to non-certified facilities. In its report, the DOT's inspector general identified more than 1,400 non-certified shops performing maintenance for those aircraft, 100 of which were foreign stations in countries such as Aruba, Belize, Bermuda, Haiti and Mexico."

[aquart]

4. Well, how about a law requiring disclosure of maintenance.

Place and certification? LET THE FREE MARKET CUSTOMER DECIDE.

[BlueCollar]

5. AA is the only carrier to perform 100%

of Heavy maintenance in house. All Union shops in Tulsa and Fort Worth.

[aquart]

7. YOU know that. I didn't. Who else does?

Disclosure matters.

[BlueCollar]

8. It's an industry "secret"

Basically, there is nothing to prevent 100% of all maintenance being outsourced. The FAA requires carriers to report their outsourcing percentages...

Nothing is hidden, the press just choses not to report and apparantly the public is uninterested...

[Jazzgirl]

9. I know it.

Of course AA's maintenance facility is at Alliance Airport in far North Ft. Worth. I work in North Ft. Worth and the big planes flying between DFW and Alliance are constant.

[aquart]

10. Well, with the rising pro-union feeling

AA should be working on an ad about that union maintenance shop.

[Blue_Tires]

11. Supposedly El Salvador...

Hartmann is on it

http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2011/04/southwest-airlines-outsourcing-maintenance-and-inspections-el-salvador

[Angleae]

12. They have 4 facilities doing heavy maintenance.

3 in the US (ATS in Everett, AAR in Miami/OK City/Indy, and their own facility in Dallas), 1 in El Salvador.