Report questions airline’s use of substitute crews

MINNEAPOLIS – Reports filed by federal aviation inspectors during the first month of a strike by Northwest Airlines Corp.’s mechanics challenge assertions by executives that operations are running smoothly, according to a newspaper’s review of the records.

In a story for Sunday’s editions, the Star Tribune newspaper reported that the inspection records – which were reviewed by two independent aviation experts – describe training deficiencies among replacement workers, thin staffing, maintenance blunders and mistakes in recording aircraft repairs.

It cites one incident in which mechanics failed to find a dead bird in the engine of a jet about to leave Memphis, Tenn., but a co-pilot spotted it before takeoff.

In another case, it said inspectors watched replacement workers in Philadelphia work through the night to replace a brake. That job normally takes experienced mechanics less than three hours, the experts said.

The Star Tribune reported that Northwest declined to discuss the substance of more than 100 reports it obtained.

“Northwest remains confident in the quality of its ongoing maintenance program. Our operation continues to run normally,” the airline said Sunday.

Since the mechanics walked out Aug. 20, Northwest has used 1,200 replacements, a few hundred managers and outside vendors to maintain and repair its planes. According to AMFA, about 40 of its members have crossed the picket lines. Since the strike began, Northwest has filed for bankruptcy protection, which typically triggers more FAA inspections at an airline to ensure maintenance is not compromised.

After the strike, the FAA raised the number of personnel assigned to Northwest from 53 to about 80. The additional inspectors allow the FAA to conduct more spot checks and write more reports, but the agency still can’t monitor all activities at the nation’s fourth-largest airline, which operates 1,400 daily flights.

Before the strike, Northwest insisted its replacement workers were fully licensed and trained, and that it wouldn’t compromise on safety. But Northwest has acknowledged conducting “refresher training” for replacements since the strike began.