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ALASKA AIR - COOKIE JAR - PHASE II
Alaska Air is under Federal investigation for making out false maintenance records in their Oakland repair depot. Alaska Air brought pressure to bear on FAA field inspector Mary Diefenderfer because she had written up Alaska Air with several major safety violations and they wanted the FAA to make her back off. Now, some maintenance records have been found to involve flight #261. Read the latest news regarding Alaska Air and flight #261 and check out the credibility of Alaska Air.
"Officials: Alaska Flight 261's records had suspicious entries"by Steve Miletich Seattle Times staff reporter
Federal agents have found suspicious entries in the maintenance records of the Alaska Airlines plane that crashed Jan. 31, according to government officials familiar with the investigation.
Investigators are trying to determine whether test results of a 1997 inspection of the plane's jackscrew - a part suspected as a possible cause of Flight 261's crash - were manipulated so the plane could be returned to passenger service as quickly as possible, the officials said.
They wouldn't characterize the specific nature of the entries. But they said the notations provided probable cause for the FBI and the federal Department of Transportation's inspector general to open a criminal investigation into the crash that took the lives of all 88 passengers and crew off the Southern California coast. A high-ranking federal official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the entries in question are on a work card that contains names, dates and remarks. The entries are also being closely examined by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is conducting a separate safety investigation into the cause of the crash.
Alaska Airlines spokesman Greg Witter said all the airline's records relating to the MD-83 that crashed have been turned over to the NTSB. "Until their investigation is complete, it is inappropriate for me or anyone else - particularly those who cower behind the veil of anonymity - to comment one way or another," Witter said. He added, "however, that the issue of getting the plane back into service was "irrelevant, because we don't put planes into service unless they're safe. Period."
(Price's comment: If you believe that the statement of Greg Witter has credibility, read my post concerning the credibility of Alaska Air, "http://members.aol.com/papcecst/cookie.html
By cost cutting on maintenance, what does the previous few months show us about Alaska Air. They have had at least 2 MD-80s having to make emergency landings at SEATAC and SFO due to sparks, fire and smoke from an engine. They have had several MD-80s making emergency landings on account of STABILIZER PROBLEMS. So we are suppose to take Greg Witter or Jack Evans word that "irrevelent, because we don't put planes into service unless they're safe." Give us a break and state the TRUTH.)The records relate to a 1997 inspection at Alaska's Oakland maintenance facility. Mechanics working on the jackscrew assembly, which controls the tilt of the plane's horizontal stabilizer, found it too close to failing acceptable wear standards on Sept. 29, 1997, and had planned to replace it. But they decided not to replace the assembly after performing five more tests the next day in which they determined the jackscrew was within acceptable limits. The jackscrew and stabilizer are a focus of the crash investigation. The pilots on Flight 261 reported problems with the stabilizer, which controls the up and down movements of the plane.
Besides the suspicious entries, investigators also are examining other circumstances surrounding the inspection. The plane was within days of being released to service and another jackscrew may not have been immediately available, according to investigators. In fact, it would be unusual for a jackscrew to be readily available, said the high-ranking official, who noted they cost $30,000 to $70,000. In a previous statement, Alaska pointed out that even the initial test indicated the jackscrew was within allowable limits prescribed by Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, and the subsequent tests showed even less wear, Alaska said.
(Price's comment: Another statement by Alaska air that demands scrutiny for credibility in lieu of previous statements vs. facts.)
Boeing's instructions say the measurements should be repeated several times to ensure consistent results, Alaska said. "This test was rechecked five additional times to ensure consistency of results and each time the results indicated the endplay was well within standards," the airline said. Two Alaska inspectors contacted by The Seattle Times said they have been interviewed by FBI agents about their role in overseeing the tests. One said nothing improper was done, while the other declined comment.The airline's maintenance practices are under investigation by a federal grand jury in San Francisco and the Federal Aviation Administration just completed a separate "white-glove" inspection of the carrier's maintenance facilities. The FAA's findings won't be completed for several weeks, but the agency directed Alaska to immediately respond to the discovery during the inspection that two of its planes had been prematurely released for flight with incomplete paperwork. Alaska agreed to begin an immediate records review of the most recent heavy-maintenance checks of 81 of the 89 planes in its fleet over the next three weeks. FAA inspectors will participate in the review.
The grand-jury investigation began 14 months before the crash of Flight 261 in response to allegations by an Alaska lead mechanic that supervisors signed off for work that wasn't done or for which they didn't have approval authority. The probe has since expanded to include the crash. The FAA's findings regarding the two planes will be presented to the grand jury, a law-enforcement source said.
Steve Miletich's phone message number is 206-464-3302. smiletich@seattletimes.com