Airline mechanics say they feel pressured to overlook potential safety problems

[@brianolson9967]

If mechanics violate safety procedures at the behest of the the airline, and the FAA finds out, it will only be the mechanics that will suffer the fines or licenses revocation. The airline will deny any wrong doings.

[@xcofcd]

Also if something goes horribly wrong with the aircraft, they're the ones who signed off on it in the end...

[@1111BlkPhoenix]

That's a fact

[@SF-ul2mr]

Their being told to only do what their assigned and sign off what they did and not to report on things that are out of scope. Ultimately the managers need to stop with the pressure and let the mechanics do their job

[@fghfsderts]

exactly, the company will point to their procedure and say "hey we have the proper manual/procedure, the mechanic didn't follow it, it's not our fault." This sucks.

[@atsj17]

Exactly the mechanics have deadlines and are pressured to give the (go ahead) if not repercussions occur.. it’s crazy and then you Risk being blackballed for speaking up...

[@charliecharlton9782]

This is a criminal act.

[@Mrcharles.]

Putting profits over safety is unethical and you’re right Judi, criminal.

[@Jaffjv]

charlie barnett but it’s the American way!

[@Jaffjv]

@Dander Spat wow, you’re so smart and enlightened! I believe the lizard people want us pacified so we’ll be weak when the invasion comes. That’s why airplanes spew out chemicals to turn us all gay so we can’t effectively fight back!

[@ethancedrik]

Don’t feed the trolls

[@55inchSamsungTV]

Judi Jones unfortunately nothing is going to change until there’s an accident. I can already see it happening. No one wants change until it’s literally knocking on the door because lives were lost.

[@lukew5602]

FAA do your job and step in to investigate these claims, our taxes are paying for this safety net!

[@vinnievalentine421]

FAA is a government entity, corrupt.

[@notsure6187]

they do investigate

[@Sirhc2023]

FAA officials probably receive personal funds to overlook issues.

[@trytrustinmejc]

I see stocks falling

[@Ninjaman195]

Government agencies are composed of many incompetent people. A lot of our tax money is wasted

[@y25151956]

im surprised mechanics are complaining. usually the mechanic wants to fix something and let it go. i wanna give a big shout out to the mechanics that go the extra mile. because of the coordination required to keep on schedual. the pressure on airlines to save money. plus passenger disatisfaction if their flight gets delayed or canceled due to a maintanance issue. i beleieve its a miracle that any company keeps up with compliance and keep an incredible saftey record. i just wanna say thanks to the whole crew pilots, cabin workers,mechanics,ect ect for keeping us safe

[@piloto34HD]

y25151956 yeah usually A&P’s(Airframe and Powerplant) Mechanics(the aircraft mechanics) willingly report these discrepancies with an aircraft and make SURE that it is fixed. Anybody in that position would want to report a problem with an aircraft. Because if an incident or accident happens and people die from it. The FAA and the NTSB will look for someone to blame. So of course they would report these things, it’s in their own interest. Anybody in the aviation industry is told and taught from the beginning to report anything(in the interest of safety), the pressure usually comes from higher ups who just think of the money, not the people.

[@o11o01]

Airline mechanics are now being taught ethics courses specifically tailored towards how to react to a manager requesting you to do such thing. This isn't something that should standout, this is the job of an aircraft mechanic. Mangers are business men, their job is to make money. A mechanics job is to make a plane safe. This is part of the job.

[@o11o01]

@@si007ho8 Then you are dishonest to the aircraft mechanic's creed. A good mechanic must value safety over their current job.

[@edgar-qn4lc]

Actually many mechanics are made to look the other way just so the plane could leave on time, they’re usually given at most an hour to fix something. And the airline managers at the location do pressure them a lot and come up with some many lies and of course money talks as well. I’ve seen once an airplane leave with only one engine working (of course all you need is one engine to fly) witch could easily turn fatal if something would happen to that one engine once in the air. Coming from an airport worker who talks and is always with the mechanics on ramp

[@atacanaksoy5192]

@@o11o01 Exactly I agree with you, Pilots motto is Aviate, Navigate, Communicate ours is Safety Safety and Safety. (In my country at least)

[@vinnievalentine421]

The management should be charged with crime for telling mechanics to look the other way.

[@Nicholas-f5]

They likely could be jailed after a fatal accident.

[@1111BlkPhoenix]

It goes much higher then the management. Management is the fall guy. The pressure comes from the top of the chain

[@lastsunrise445]

@@1111BlkPhoenix exactly

[@Astrobucks2]

@@lastsunrise445 Top of the chain = Government.

[@1111BlkPhoenix]

@@Astrobucks2 I was more referring to the company executives. But yeah the government too

[@MarkovianMan]

Unfortunately it will take a major crash with a lot of fatalities for things to change.

[@jichaelmackson1805]

It already happened in 2000 Alaska 261, the FAA did nothing, and it's back to the same business

[@calebniederhofer678]

jeff Webb Commericial aviation is very safe , you have a higher chance of getting in a car accident . Saying you are glad you don’t fly Commercial often is a ignorant comment. Maintenance can vary depending on company , unfortunately .I’m 100% with mechanics on this. Companies should not pressure anything on something they don’t even understand themselves. Mechanics should have the overall authority , and not pressured , questioned. Safety is number 1 then flying , passengers.

[@MessyPointedBlob]

@@calebniederhofer678 It's safe while safety standards and regs are being followed. If the industry starts tilting to pressuring their mechanics to cut corners. Those "safety" statistics will soon collapse.

[@calebniederhofer678]

Mark Roszko Thats very true , I have walked away from companies that tried to take corners on maintenance.

[@ryanlittleton5615]

Alaska 261

[@kali20cg]

This is the type of news we need. Not just politics and bashing on president trump.

[@vinnievalentine421]

That's called a distraction for idiots.

[@MK-tq5ec]

Because politics has the power to change our future or destroy it.

[@tomsenft7434]

Trump probably has investments in crashing planes.

[@PeaceFan1]

WRONG...THE Person who NEEDS to be BASHED is our TRAITOR in Chief!!!!!

[@vshah1010]

Trump promised he would cut regulations. Trump is part of the problem.

[@3516mos]

As an A&P mechanic I have to say there is no compromise for safety and doing the job correctly. I will always follow the Aircraft Mechanics Creed. I am proud to make flight safety my number one priority. 'Nuff said.

[@frenchvanilla7109]

WTF!!!? How is this allowed? All these complaints since 3 years ago and the government hasn't stepped in. Put their families on these defective planes. This is a crime and should not be tolerated! These people allowing this to go on our monsters.

[@Mrcharles.]

Blame trump and the GOP for getting rid of the regulations that keep passengers safe in the plane.

[@yogib37]

@@Mrcharles. that was Regan that deregulated the aviation field.

[@yogib37]

Dont you know that the FAA stands for FIX AFTER ACCIDENT.

[@Mrcharles.]

@Christopher Baker. Well! It seems they’ve installed some new regulations after 9/11 and going by plane is still dangerous!

[@ethancedrik]

When did Trump and the GOP get rid of airline safety regulations? This is news to me

[@matthewpeters8880]

We need more of this kind of investigative journalism and whistleblowing. Thank you CBS

[@friendoftellus5741]

Hear, hear, hear !!!

[@flyc40]

Aircraft maintenance is a thankless job. Whenever there is a broken plane no one is happy for both the company and the passengers and when they finally do get it fixed it still caused a delay or cancellation. The pressure will always be there. It comes with the territory.

[@dilatedvision7014]

Most jobs are thankless.

[@flyc40]

@@dilatedvision7014 I disagree. There aren't very many jobs where the company and it's customers are upset with you for doing what you were hired to do.

[@michaelrodeback1956]

@@flyc40 Finally someone who understands how aviation works. I've been laughing at hilarious comments on this video for an hour now and this is the first one I've seen that shows some compassion and doesn't just look at the surface and make a final judgement.

[@First-Last-108]

Will definitely avoid American Airlines whenever I can after hearing their VP

[@ernestofuentes7262]

First Last all airlines do this

[@xhiltonx]

All airlines will be doing this itll be only a matter of time b4 more n more planes come dropping out if the sky

[@OTRTrader]

I agree, it's not just AA and SW, it will be discovered at Delta and others.

[@lasso79ify]

And Delta Too. Profit$ over People

[@hellonwheels9149]

Wow, aren’t you an internet tough guy. You sure showed them. 😂😂😂😂😂😃

[@solomonrodeo4418]

This is a classic move that airlines like to do, no regard for human safety...they only care about profit

[@Astrobucks2]

Which is why only one person has died on a US airline in 10 years. And your odds of winning the powerball after you get struck by lightning twice are higher than dying on a US commercial airline flight.

[@rollsroyce7385]

Solomon Rodeo yes very very sad..smdh

[@matthewbaxter5825]

well at the end of the day, the whole purpose of a company is to make money. the only reason a company would care about safety is that having a bad safety record would destroy the ability to make profits. can't really blame a company for doing what it' supposed to do

[@Androfier]

@@Astrobucks2 .....until multiple people die. Just because the probability of you getting into a airplane crash is very low at the moment, doesn't mean that we should sit around with fingers up our noses and wait for another serious accident to happen before taking much needed action.

[@reptilesgamers00]

The problem is when every airline does it. How do you compete? People will stop using your services. If things change, it's got to be across all airlines.

[@OrchidLaRouge]

Well this is very unsettling. I expect when I pay for my flight tickets that I am 100% safe during my entire trip. Can you imagine getting on that one flight that had known issues and it wasn't repaired? Passengers put their trust in airlines that their lives are safe.😔😔😔

[@joevignolor4u949]

Don't forget to place part of the blame on the flying public. Everyone wants to pay cheap airfares. This puts more financial pressure on the airlines to cut costs. You get what you pay for.

[@spyder3406]

Dont have to imagine it has already happened flight 1564 to Vegas 2003 mechanic error used a different bolt to save time smh

[@joevignolor4u949]

I hate to tell you this but nothing is 100% safe. Driving in a car, taking a train, even walking down the street all have risks associated with them. You can even stay home and hide under your bed and a large tree could fall over, crash through the roof and crush you. We all have to accept some level of risk for everything we do.

[@gavinhanson9213]

Airlines don’t give AF about you, your just another dollar sign to them.

[@mike88g1]

Angella J Rose you can never be 100% safe. EVER?! No matter where you are at. So stop dreaking

[@krismiller5699]

This is indeed a criminal act. Maintenance is one of the most vital keys in the airline industry. Let us not forget Alaska Airlines Flight 261. 88 innocent lives were lost in this accident because of this "pressure" situation. Alaska was at fault not only for improper maintenance, but was also found to be cycling aircraft more frequently than normal, thus leading to the failed part not being lubricated. A mechanic named John Liotine spoke up about what was wrong about the failed aircraft and was overruled by a supervisor. He later went to the press and told them about what really happened to flight 261. He was put on leave for that and he was then forced to resign all because he tried to prevent an accident. This should not be happening today! The FAA should require all airlines to be %100! NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Safety is more important than money!!!!

[@michaelrodeback1956]

I wouldn't say criminal, but yes this is something that needs to be fixed. A pilot who flew the plane prior to the accident reported something very serious and it was not acknowledged. More than just a slightly worn tire.

[@Elektrikthomas]

Ad American Airlines 191, DC10 to the list! Hundreds of people died, not only but also becaus they skipt a the proper enginesupport during enginechange, which lead to the entire los of an entire engine during take of.

[@kamikazekid94]

Wow how is this allowed. Management needs to be under review.

[@Astrobucks2]

We've reviewed your claim and determined that YOU were at fault for making a false claim.

[@luism5514]

Get rid of unions, lower taxes on airlines, then maybe they wont be as profit driven.

[@restlessmind5770]

Lock them up. Money is NOT OVER LIVES.

[@verse3000]

To these rich people, only millions and billions of dollars matter and they won't let anything disrupt that order in their perfect rich lifes.

[@capras12]

i find if funny that you have forgotten that only 1 person has died in the last 10 years. if thats the safty record i dont give as sdhit. that's safer than pretty much anything you do in a day.

[@the_bottomfragger]

@@verse3000 You realize how incredibly naive your comment sounds?

[@BrokenLifeCycle]

@@capras12 That's complacency and hubris. These airliners are asking for Murphy's Law to rear its ugly head in the form of another Alaska 261. True, aircraft have far more redundancy in systems that it's statistically unlikely for it to all fail at the same time. However, that's assuming that all systems were running nominally and were maintained. Once you start neglecting, those odds stack up.

[@capras12]

@@BrokenLifeCycle sure, but so far with these "dangerous" practices the likelihood of something going wrong is still so low that it doesn't matter. Planes don't just fall out of the sky.

[@hoodinisharif1860]

As a ramp agent we are told to report any dings or dents to maintenance and I’ve heard about maintenance workers getting in trouble for actually working on the plane in the gate area because “customers will see them working on it too long” kinda weird they’re just doing a quick fix

[@1111BlkPhoenix]

I'm a ramp agent too and you're right. In addition aviation is not what it used to be the pressure is very real on all of us on the low end of the chain

[@chonglee3894]

The superior's don't want that because it doesn't look "pretty" for advertising purposes lol

[@theenzoferrari458]

I'd rather see them working on to be assured it's being fixed rather than see the wing half way dragging on the ground and then seeing a mech come out and zlap some duct tape and superglue the wing back on in 5 seconds.

[@waterproof4403]

@Star Trek Theory duct tape? Tf?

[@keithduff6312]

People want cheap flights and investors want a profit. The airlines are trying to find ways to cut costs in order to do so. FAA needs to step in and do their job.

[@talosgoat8697]

Are you deaf?

[@keithduff6312]

@@talosgoat8697 Yes, I am. However, I can read.

[@talosgoat8697]

@@keithduff6312 keep playing stupid, stupid.

[@keithduff6312]

@@talosgoat8697 It's deaf and dumb, not stupid...smarty pants.

[@talosgoat8697]

@@keithduff6312 what a stewart ....

[@BsUJeTs]

I worked for a major airline for 18 years. It is absolutely true that management tries to pressure Aviation Technicians to either rush the job or look the other way. The way I went around it was documenting everything and making sure that I had a union rep or witness when speaking with management. I never had any problems because of these actions. The airlines hate delays and AOG (aircraft on ground). The cost of an AOG is pretty high, management does not think of the cost of human life. The reason is that aircraft accidents are rare and aircraft technologies are very advance. Sad but true.

[@blacksunray8532]

I been a aircraft structures mechanic for 10yrs. Mainly been working in MROs which is where major overhaul and repairs and modifications are made. I have seen shortcuts requested since I started in 2007 till now. It's not a political thing from Bush, Obama or Trump. It is political from the airlines. Most of the time the aircraft I've seen are fixed and in perfect condition to fly. Yes sometimes there could had been some repairs that could had been fixed before leaving but not something that will cause an accident. But still corners are cut. But at the terminal and hub....I am damn sure its worst and more pressure from management and the pilots themselves. We mechanics have a great responsibility and most of us dont even get paid well for a serious job we have.

[@chrisgillespie1177]

All that $$$$$$$$ and your telling me these big wigs are cutting corners to vital flight safety to save a few bucks.....yea sounds about right.

[@xcofcd]

The airline business, although it doesn't look like it from the outside, is horrible, they have to save every penny they can. There's incredible pressure on the airline industry and like in this example they pass it right on to their employees...

[@joevignolor4u949]

Don't forget to place part of the blame on the flying public. Everyone wants to pay cheap airfares. This puts more financial pressure on the airlines to cut costs. You get what you pay for.

[@Nicholas-f5]

@@joevignolor4u949 Gotta protect the massive profits at any cost!

[@joevignolor4u949]

@@Nicholas-f5 Notice that I said, "part of the blame". Part of the blame also goes to greedy stockholders and overpaid CEO's and managers for sure.

[@chrisgillespie1177]

Bicc OG lol

[@MikeWilliamsCoinCollector]

I am an A&P or aircraft mechanic and this is true

[@MrLukepl80]

We as a A&P mechanic should be paid a lot more.

[@NqSon]

I feel sad because I'm currently in A&P school right now.

[@watcheroffools366]

It’s my Career and my son loved planes growing up. He couldn’t be a pilot because of a heart condition so next was a mechanic. I told him not to. Now he works the ramp for a major. After you close the bin door you’re done. In maintenance if you change a part you’re responsible for it until someone else works on it. Could be years later and come back to you. The public has no clue what this job is like.

[@tommyarnold890]

Too true. I was a Air Force crew chief, and will be getting my A&P soon. A sergeant explained it to me like this: "You aren't just responsible for the plane you're assigned to. You are responsible for every one of the planes in the squadron. Every bolt you tighten, every tire you change. You are responsible for multiple multi-million dollar airplanes as well as every piece of cargo and every life that steps on board." It was at this point I realized the gravity of my job, at 20 years old.

[@tylerdo6022]

It's not bad if you dont work the line for an airline. I work corporate depot maintenance and there is no pressure like this because everything we write up is billed to the aircraft owner and we make money.

[@susanharkema2888]

PLEASE mechanics...keep speaking out. We, customers, can't help you if you don't speak out. We rely on you and thank you for your bravery. My dad was a mechanic, machinist and air force traffic control operator. He would speak out as you are.

[@HillaryCampbell]

I fly American all the time. This seriously makes me rethink booking with them in the future....

[@deaf2819]

This happens with every company even in the military, good luck.

[@drdwgmd14]

I will fly with you hillary, freaking hottie

[@adamsauer6516]

@@deaf2819 i would say safety in the USAF is a bigger deal with more checks then the civilian side, system ops checks are there for a reason. before even flight ops chks are performed. i dont think the civilian side has as much over head safety as military, nice J model btw those are great planes.

[@rollsroyce7385]

Hillary Campbell as it should love

[@terks43]

American 100% has a policy of on time departures no matter what. As a result every single company flying under the American brand is cutting corners and ignoring maintenance during the day on a sizeable portion of their fleet. BTW even though ALL airlines do this now American is BY FAR the worst with it. This is squarely on Doug Parker, WHEN, not if, the next American Airlines branded plane goes down he should be thrown in jail for life.

[@divergentthg7925]

I could see that happening what mechanics say. I've been through different jobs where they want to focus on incorrect things just for sheer money and not trying to make things right

[@ximenoworks]

Being a license A&P mechanic . The Valuejet accident could have been prevented. I was there 10 months before it happened and you could see the writing on the walls that it something was going to happen! Are LICENSE A&P mechanics being pressured? Yes absolutely! They are in order to meet schedule. Are they ridiculed when they find a safety of flight issue? Yes they are and the mechanic better find a very valid reason why it is. Are mechanics held responsible for poor workmanship? yes they are including PRISON time when things goes horribly WRONG!!!

[@wilfordfootball79]

Lemay Valuejet would still be flying if it wasn't for that one accident smh

[@ximenoworks]

@@wilfordfootball79 It still would have happened. Just a different carrier. It was a accident just waiting to happen and it did.

[@starstray4326]

You don’t get prison time anymore for mechanic mistakes just your A&P revoked.

[@ximenoworks]

@@starstray4326 The FBI is still looking for the Value Jet guy.

[@starstray4326]

@@ximenoworks I believe that’s because that guy did it intentionally.

[@samschellhase8831]

That’s some damn good reporting too. Holding those people accountable to questions, and reflecting off of what their people said previously.

[@jhawk3910]

So both individuals interviewed in this piece, who are also part of the leadership/management team within their respective airline, completely deny the claims of the mechanics instead of stating that they will we look into the claims and ensure that every mechanic feels comfortable speaking up when they notice a safety issue. They reinforced the credibility of the mechanics and the abhorrent culture aimed at maximizing profits over safety.

[@Sarahbethcycles]

The balance of being perfectionistic and being efficient is a very real aspect of the life of an aircraft mechanic. The problem is that the management wants a minimal amount of paper trail and minimal time loss. If the problems get reported, there is a paper trail. Paper trail leads to more work orders or worse yet a gap in the chain when an accident happens. Thus, the easiest way to limit the process is to block it at the bottom. One of my dad's friends ended up opening a car shop in the 90s because he couldn't get work in airlines after refusing to return to service a particular airliner as a crew chief. Blacklisting is not as much a buzzword nowdays but it can happen and it is certainly a concern at the foot level. Spoken as a licenced A&p aviation mechanic who stays in the non-airline world where you tell your boss it needs 2 more days and they sigh and say ok...

[@koshnaranek2317]

That second guy looked really shady you can see it in his eyes.

[@xXginger1260Xx]

And chances are that the people were not from maintenance management. More likely they're representatives from public relations. Big companies will never let an actual employee talk to the media if you can look into their policies regarding media interaction.

[@VeniVidiVici456]

Corporate greed. Pure and simple.

[@morganmccarthur1633]

Southwest is suing and has sued their mechanics for what they claim is deliberate work slow downs. Contract negotiations are at the heart of the problem.

[@montielh]

One thing is push for productivity and other is encourage for negligence!

[@agent136]

I absolutely believe this. After coming out of UPS management, all the good managers stay stuck in middle management for 30 years and the managers who only care about their numbers are pushed to corporate within 15 years. It's nonsense and why I left and why I'm headed this way into this career. I'd rather be the one ensuring others safety than the one endangering others for money.

[@wayback75]

I am a retired airline mechanic and I remember many years ago talking to one of our pilots and I'll never forget when he told me that if you want to start up an airline, the FAA requires that the only two people in airline must be licensed and they are Pilots and Mechanics and they are the only two who care about safety,,, everyone else, they hire off the street.

[@onemoretime007]

I will NOT accept anyone putting my family's safety at Riks. Fix it NOW. It's cheaper for companies to pay claims then spend the time to be safe.

[@rossmcfadzean3185]

I want to be a pilot, and when I see these videos I remind myself that I couldn't fly without these great people.

[@jasonfruth3869]

I was an aviation mechanic from 2001 to 2012. This is one of the biggest reasons why I walked away from that industry. I could no longer bite my tongue while my supervisors either erased a problem that I found or told me that I needed to go home because I was "seeing things". The FAA can say that they see no evidence of any potentially unsafe airplane flying because the company got rid of the evidence. Sure the FAA has mechanisms in place for reporting shady behavior and protecting whistle-blowers but those are lip-service. The airlines own the FAA; lock, stock, and barrel.

[@jjthomas2297]

I don't know about American or Southwest, but I work as an A & P for one of the big 4(Not Southwest or American) and I have seen just the opposite. The quickest way to get written up or otherwise in trouble is to miss something that needs to be fixed or to sign it off without fixing it("Pencil Whipping")..At our airline, we know that a crash means not only untold suffering, but a possible end to the airline

[@terks43]

Safety is most certainly being thrown out the window. As a pilot I see it every day with these companies having an absolute obsession with departing on time. Even a 1 min delay is completely unacceptable with them. If something brakes at an outstation it is a taboo to write it up there instead we are pressured into ignoring it and flying it back to base. Turnaround times in base are nowhere near long enough to get any maintenance done on the aircraft and the mainline companies will punish the smaller subcontracted airlines if they even have to take as little as a 1 min delay to a flight because of maintenance. All of this has created a culture of on time departures no matter the amount of corners to be cut at ALL airlines.

[@michaelrodeback1956]

There are some bad airlines out there and these things can definitely be a serious problem. You are also a pilot so I can trust you to have your facts straight. But to safety is being thrown out the window, especially most certainly, I think is a rather large over statement. Just look at the facts. Flying is upwards of 150x safer than driving.

[@terks43]

Maybe thrown out the window was to harsh, but the margin of error being reduced by this on time departure craze that all majors are on now, absolutely.

[@michaelrodeback1956]

@@terks43Yeah the ontime craze is a bit nuts.

[@morganmccarthur1633]

Your company doesn't want to be the airline with the worst on-time departure statistics. It's published at regular intervals and was driven by passenger complaints. Pick your poison, a delay here and there or your families life?

[@rafaeldelrio9987]

As a&p I can feel his position that he’s in after being in this field for 3 years

[@qwertyuiop3455]

I've been a pilot for 20 years. The pressure to not write up defects and to limp it back to base is immense. The mechanics get rushed by operations. I worked at a company where ops would phone the mechanics every five minutes--"are you done, are you done?"

[@wrongtarget5523]

This investigation is gold! Need to be shared with all travelers as possible.

[@concernedamerican4091]

Mesa Airlines is an accident waiting to happen. Had an aircraft with 19 MEL's once. After one flight it got to a major MX base and asked MX Control do something about them. Either that or take it off my desk. I wouldnt put my name on the release period.

[@rdavis2021]

As an aircraft mechanic I can attest to this. It’s about how fast you can get the bird up and too many times do we not have the parts or hazmat we need.

[@jichaelmackson1805]

Alaska 261 crashed in 2000 as a result of bad maintenance 88 people lost their lives, no action was taken, and the airlines are back at the same game. When people die, it'll be oops my bad, just like before.

[@throe68]

You forgot to mention the whistleblower who pointed out the issue lost his job...

[@FlyboythaACE]

That was sad, a close friend of mine was waiting on that aircraft at LAX he was ground crew with the airline at that time.

[@jichaelmackson1805]

@@throe68 Yes, I remember, he even said the work was needed, but the supervisors overruled him. They all belong in prison, supervisors and executives

[@antyja]

This really is scary and needs to have something done about this!

[@13sharonj]

American Flight 191 is a prime example of what happens when shortcuts are taken during maintenance.

[@Ihdc1]

And China Airlines 611 and JAL123. All were caused by shoddy maitainence and were totally preventable.

[@MiVidaBellisima]

Kudos to the mechanics that arent folding to that pressure and understand that there are hundreds and thousands of lives that depend on them doing the right thing.

[@yotubetroller2827]

One day a plane will crash, people will die, and guess who’s gonna get blamed for? The mechanic, not his manager

[@nightrider3067]

Thank you to these good people putting their jobs on the line to save lives

[@ihdieselman]

Don't be fooled. There is more to this story than they are showing.

[@austinhardman832]

As a student working on getting my A&P license to work on planes my instructors have hammered in my head if your higher ups try and make you shortcut or turn a blind eye to tell them no cause at the end of the day it’s the mechanics name and license number that goes on the paper work and if there’s a crash it’s the mechanics head on the chopping block.

[@derkyderk1900]

Lol, I was in the military, aviation side. I was stuck on night crew for a while and basically we worked some ridiculous hours compared to day crew. Our commanding Officer was crazy about getting his flight hours and he didn't care how it got done. We were dropping anonymous notes in this (any mouse) box saying we weren't doing our job safely due to harsh hours, and I was a person signing off that the jobs were done safely. It took a little while before anything happened but eventually one of our pilots noticed and took it higher up the chain of command before this idiot got fired. It's all about flights leaving on time and the company getting an income, and when the plane crashes its going to be on the inspectors.

[@joevignolor4u949]

I was in the Air Force doing aircraft maintenance and we had similar problems. We were being pushed 7 days a week constantly with no days off for months. Finally we had a plane lose a wheel on take off and another one had fuel pouring out of an engine at the end of the runway. Both times it was due to maintenance mistakes. Finally it was the pilots who stepped in. They forced the base commander to back off before the situation killed someone.

[@kevintran1137]

I was a crew chief in a single fighter base (in Germany) and we had pressure to keep up with flying hours as if we WERENT a single fighter base. Weekend duty and mandatory 12s for surges (often turn into 13 or 14s during turnovers, forms and CAMs...) Over time, you can expect quality to dwindle with those demands. But then we have these wonderful leaders that come on down once in a blue moon, pat us on the back and say “because we work just as hard as any other base to compensate, let’s continue on with our under-funded legacy!” Good thing our EOR did their job.

[@mobius-1503]

You kidding this is how you guy are treated?! You guys arent dogs

[@joevignolor4u949]

@@mobius-1503 Yes, sometimes it is how we were treated.

[@tommyarnold890]

Too true. I was a Air Force crew chief, and will be getting my A&P soon. A sergeant explained it to me like this: "You aren't just responsible for the plane you're assigned to. You are responsible for every one of the planes in the squadron. Every bolt you tighten, every tire you change. You are responsible for multiple multi-million dollar airplanes as well as every piece of cargo and every life that steps on board." It was at this point I realized the gravity of my job, at 20 years old.

[@tickedoffsheikh8587]

This is criminally underrated!!! American and Southwest need to be charged for such malpractices. Double thumbs up to mechanic Gary Santos for risking his job and life for speaking out on TV!!!.Come on FAA ,NTSB and all relevant bodies take note!!!American Airlines is now offering services to Guyana and Miami since November '18. We will take note of this.

[@trippybruh1592]

Looks like I'm driving to Hawaii this year.

[@oldsklteg]

😂😂

[@AviationNut]

That is so true, i actually have few recordings of my supervisor telling me even yelling at me to skip repairs because the airline wants the plane back in the air. I recorded him without him knowing, but I did it so that I won't be the one responsible if anything happens to the aircraft. I am sure glad I am leaving this airline in 2 weeks.

[@MrGeurrilla]

World needs to slow down

[@Napstone]

U got ur wish! Cv19 😂

[@Chirp_Fest]

It’s middle management, not the bottom and not the very top. It’s the middle supervisors that’s don’t want to disappoint the top dogs

[@32hernandez93]

Takes somebody to die for something to be done.

[@jbthesfm]

I was a mechanic in the Air Force...same thing happens there. I totally believe this is happening.

[@wizardmix]

Unparalleled safety often cultivates unparalleled arrogance and overconfidence. I applaud these mechanics for coming forward. I feel that if it isn't already, it should be a requirement for every manager to view graphic images of what happens when their team doesn't do their job correctly. Every CEO right on down to a first year mechanic should have to picture their most loved ones flying on every single plane. If it's not okay for them, it's not okay for anyone.

[@bobwhitlock2492]

I spent a career in aircraft maintenance in the Air Force. Our pressure was just to opposite. If we saw something we fixed it. I had two friends who had worked with me, then went to civilian airlines. One returned to the Air Force, the other got out of the business. Both said they just couldn't live with the shoddy maintenance practices in the civilian sector. It was common that they would fly airplanes with problems which we would ground them for.

[@LM2.S54]

You get what you pay for people, you want cheap and fast? Well this is what it requires.

[@phillyphil1513]

BINGO...

[@the_bottomfragger]

Someone with a brain here!

[@jimjimmyjam8242]

I believe this to be 100% true. I work for the railroad and they are no different. The one who does their job properly and takes pride in what they do is almost always the bad guy.

[@alexzandrite5018]

Please consider safety before profit. We can wait. These airlines need to let them do their jobs correctly!

[@joevignolor4u949]

Don't forget to place part of the blame on the flying public. Everyone wants to pay cheap airfares. This puts more financial pressure on the airlines to cut costs. You get what you pay for.

[@Sarahbethcycles]

As a kid/teen in the 90s I remember that was a constant issue between Continental and Northwest. Northwest was always on time, Conti was sometimes late. One time Conti put us up in a hotel overnight because a plane wasnt quite right. Northwest almost half of the time had bad screens or bad audio on the 14+ hour flights. Sure not a safety issue, but ratty planes are hardly pleasant.

[@wesley815]

Tell that to idiot passengers screaming at gate agents about delays, or taking cell phone video of repair work and making fun of the airline when they have NO clue what is being done.

[@EaglesWind1]

It's no different in car dealerships when the vehicle is under warranty. It's frowned upon to report problems that are under warranty but are not part of the reason the vehicle was brought in for service.

[@danielroque6317]

So the airline industry is just like the trucking industry when they handle safety issues on equipment....

[@wiscogirl81]

Except an aircraft cannot be pulled over for a "road side inspection"...

[@deadpanda12109]

As an A&P mechanic I will tell you this. If you find anything g to be unsafe, even if it means your job, you DO NOT let that plane leave. You have a duty to protect and provide absolute safety to all passengers. I would rather lose my job than have a hand in killing innocent people and be put in jail.

[@AudiTTQuattro2003]

CEO: allegations have been made, but I have a private jet...so I don't care.

[@oprahwinfrey878]

That is until you hire an airport mechanic manager!!!

[@kevinsussman5433]

private jets are 62% more likely to crash. RIP you in your private jet. *We all know you don't own a private jet*

[@phillyphil1513]

re: "I have a private jet...so I don't care." lol that's actually a good point (though Kevin missed it) it does beg the question how many of these CEO's are willing to put themselves and their loved ones in harm's way on one of their OWN commercial flights.

[@kevinsussman5433]

@@phillyphil1513 Do you really believe this guy commenting on the video owns a private jet? I don't

[@phillyphil1513]

@@kevinsussman5433 Q: Philly Phil Do you really believe this guy commenting on the video owns a private jet? A: no, but of course he never said he did either. unfortunately you're not reading what's right in front of you. look close and you'll see he started off his comment with the letters C.E.O. followed by a colon. this means he's not speaking for himself, no, he's simply giving us the thoughts/words/attitude of the avaricious airline exec.

[@tinman5322]

I'm recently retired from a federal maintenance position where I experienced some light pressure to sign off incomplete work. My mantra then, which I suggested everyone use and would recommend to airline technicians if I had the chance was "I will not commit a fraud to make your numbers look better". If they were going to penalize me they'd have to come up with something good because they'd never state "refused to commit fraud" or anything similar on the documentation.

[@Liberalcali]

So true

[@youtubeaddict-1868]

This reminds of when Alaskan Airlines cut critical maintantence procedures. They also were under a lot of pressure. Alaskan airlines flight 261 went down over the Pacific ocean off the coast of CA in 2000, because of a poor maintenance. I'm worried it may happen again now.

[@stormchasingirl1133]

Well that explains my fear of flying. Won’t do it.

[@the_bottomfragger]

But you drive a car, right?

[@lorestrahan2207]

@@the_bottomfragger He does his car's maintenance.

[@the_bottomfragger]

@@lorestrahan2207 And that's necessarily reassuring? And what about the other drivers on the road? lol

[@jyc313]

As someone that flies short haul to see my family during the major holidays, I've flown Southwest every single Thanksgiving and Christmas for the last 12 years. And during each of those flights I've never been nervous of any issues, or felt I was on a carrier that disregarded passenger safety. Simply put, I felt comfortable flying on Southwest. Now I will not fly Southwest, or any other regional flights on domestic airlines until I've heard that this issue has been resolved, or has been taken seriously by our domestic carriers.

[@danielson371]

That’s why I fly jet blue

[@lojosol]

The report clearly said all airlines have this problem, not just one or another. the report is bias because they focus only on 1 carrier visually, and almost make no visual reference to any of the other carriers

[@laborawashere]

I know a airplane mechanic, he doesn't fly. He also quit working for 2 large carries for this exact reason, now he works on private jets and doesn't have to deal with the same management/corporate BS he use to.

[@drewrhodes2820]

That’s what management does in that trade and every other trade. Profits over people. Welcome to the future.

[@gkenobi559]

This story is very true. I'm a mechanic and I've walked off due to management being stupid. Ohana airlines in Hawaii is super unsafe.

[@TheDadVlog]

Keep in mind that leaks and cracks don’t mean that an airplane can’t Fly. There are criteria signed off by the FAA that allows for certain size cracks and leaks to exist if it’s with a range. So there may be a false sense of danger here. my guess is they are bringing forward problems that are within specs to fly And the manager knows that spending time investigating a leak that will not result in a no fly is pointless. Just a hunch

[@hc8714]

You clearly do not have any experience on the floor by saying those nonsense.

[@TheDadVlog]

H C yea I actual have a lot of aerospace experience. That’s why I’m saying that. The floor guys bring up everything which is good. But somethings are problems that the FAA doesn’t deem as a safety of flight issue. That’s where this news station is not telling the entire story.

[@nathanpoppleton6639]

Sure that is plausible, but when the mechanics whistleblow to the NTSB I'd think they have good cause. I was on a flight sitting over the wing and watched a serious continuous line of oil just pushing out of a panel on the right nacelle and streaking down the wing mid flight on a turboprop. Engineering background so I didn't assume it was about to fail any second, but if my car leaked that bad I'd be fixing it ASAP instead of adding a couple quarts every day. I told the crew it needed to be addressed upon landing and they asked if I was an engineer and then mentioned that other people had seen it and mentioned it in the past with that same aircraft. So how long till the airline was going to actually fix it? Not a warm fuzzy to hear that others had said something and yet it still was flying around with that nasty leak.

[@TheDadVlog]

Nathan Poppleton yea that’s no good. That’s an issue. I’m not saying these guys are wrong. Just pointing out a flaw in the journalism. It’s surprising how the interview doesn’t involve any engineers. That would make or break the story.

[@VeniVidiVici456]

Corporate greed. Sounds like you are justifying their unethical business practices.

[@USNveteran]

I recently retired after more than 30 years as an A&P mechanic with a major US airline. This is all so true especially when you work line maintenance, this is exactly one of the reasons there are unions in this business. FLY NAVY!!!

[@skyline_supra_guy3756]

This is nothing new. It happens everywhere; UK even and has been for the last god knows how many years. I'm from the UK and it happens in large airlines such as British airways and Virgin Atlantic not to mention the smaller airlines like Ryanair or Jet2. We're definitely underpaid for the knowledge we have and what we do combining with the responsibility we have and the pressure we receive. It only takes a row of 8 missing rivets or a 5cm screwdriver to bring down aircraft and can all be caused by the pressure.

[@Horizon301.]

I thought BA was one of the safest airlines?

[@skyline_supra_guy3756]

@@Horizon301. it's not the safest airline; in the aircraft maintenance industry, the top priority is money. In terms of maintenance, the priority is to have the bare minimum maintenance that's required. Even still, they'll force you to skip certain steps.

[@tipptop9]

Small airlines like Ryanair??? BaahahahhhhHHhahahhaaa. As for the rest of your post, your talking scutter mate.

[@skyline_supra_guy3756]

@@tipptop9 please explain why?

[@strongme80]

Finally something very interesting to watch and a very serious issue brought to light. High-5 CBS. Good Job Kris Van Cleave! And last but not least, Thank you to all the mechanics!!!

[@vicmorrison8128]

Like a duh America. I was a Nurse who was always under pressue to skip safety by management. WTFU.

[@wiscogirl81]

God, I hope I never have to be seen for anything where ever it is you are a nurse at.... Wtf

[@vicmorrison8128]

@@wiscogirl81 nope..i gave it up...too unsafe ..good luck

[@e.s.7520]

@@wiscogirl81 I wish it was only where he worked but unfortunately, it not. Nurses deal with this a lot. I have an older sister whose is a travel nurse (25 years), 2 good friends and a niece who all call 'venting' about the same things from different places. It's scary! I just try my best to eat well, stay healthy and get preventative checkups to help prevent problems as best I can after becoming aware so many preventable horror stories.

[@ChiselMouse]

This is present in every industry. I don't work in the medical field or the airline industry but the managers in my field only care about saving money, nothing else.

[@anubisthefirstgate1819]

Airlines firing their mechanics for trying to address safety concerns, this is truly terrifying...Audits need to be made, I will never get on a Airplane, know this comes up, thank you Airline Mechanics for bringing this up, hope this goes viral..

[@burningjeta4184]

Its not a coincidence this type of thing always comes up during protracted contract negotiations. The mechanics blacked out giving the "inside skinny" are probably the biggest slackers in the outfit. That's usually how it works. This coming from someone in airline maintenance for the past 35 years.

[@bige.3474]

I'm with you. My station has never even heard of this stuff happening. MIA, JFK, LGA... All trouble stations.

[@terks43]

I fly for an American Branded company and this is 100% a thing with Doug Parkers obsession with D-0, ALL regional carriers under the American brand cut corners and ignore faults on aircraft for days at a time. Once again this can all be pinned on DP and his on time obsession.

[@bige.3474]

Maybe that happens at your commuter airline, but this is not the mainline culture. I'm a 30 year mainline mechanic, and have never seen it happen. This only seems like an issue at certain stations. @@terks43

[@terks43]

It's a mainline issue because mainline forces it upon it's regionals. We are required to have a 89.65% (yes really) on time to the min, with 40 min turns in base with swaps, departure rate. That is something that promotes skimping on and ignoring maintenance and something that Doug is directly responsible. Keep in mind we do almost half of the flying that American sells tickets for. A regional issue is a mainline is because regionals are just as much American Airlines as mainline is to the public with how outsourced the industry has become.

[@zee7733]

1. Airlines are under government and consumer demands for "on time" departures and arrivals. If you are looking for where the pressure comes from, this might be a good place to start. 2. There is a massive disconnect between airline management and employees on safety. Management works in a high rise and thinks their wonderful safety program is the reason for low accident rates. Mechanics work in reality and think that competent people left to do their jobs make a safe operation. Apples and oranges. 3. Thankfully the US airline accident rate is very low and incidents due to maintenance are even lower. 4. Maintenance is in contract negotiations. They are going to agitate for more money and better working conditions and management is going to say everything is peachy. Just the way it is.

[@PHxNiteRider]

At the end of the day it all comes down to money! Human life is worth less than scrap! I want to see a follow up about this story. I want to know if anyone will be held responsible!

[@deeanna8448]

I bet they have done the math and figured out that a major crash with lawsuits would cost them less than what they are saving by cutting corners. Sad to think it's like that, but it probably is. I'll still fly though. The odds are much better than your odds on the road with morons drinking or texting and driving.

[@MoonLiteNite]

​@@deeanna8448 i highly doubt any low lvl mgmt thinks like that... they are just entry level mgmt positions. Most likely straight from mcdonalds

[@dbradley3]

Why not just write the defect up, and if it's not a safety-of-flight issue, it gets moved to deferred maintenance and them addressed at phase maintenance?

[@JayTeaLive]

Airplane maintenance should be controlled by the FAA. Regulations can be ignored. FAA Grounding planes because they control the maintenance and records of it cannot be. The NTSB and FAA need to take control of required maintenance per flight and annual.

[@joevignolor4u949]

Say that to a libertarian and see the response you will get. I know a libertarian and we discussed this once. He thinks we should get rid of the FAA altogether. A lot of people have the philosophy that, "the free market will police itself". A lot of them are Ayn Rand disciples who believe in totally free and unregulated markets. One other libertarian told me that in the case of commercial aviation if an airline starts having too many crashes people will just stop flying on it and put it out of business. He also said that in the mean time all the dead passenger's families can just sue for damages to get compensated for losing their loved ones. I'm not a socialist or anything but I think a lot of libertarians go way too far. Sometimes their thinking is just nuts.

[@Astrobucks2]

Airplane maintenance is 'heavily' regulated by the FAA. Please know what you're talking about before you troll.

[@joevignolor4u949]

@@Astrobucks2 Before insulting him you need to re-read what he said. He is advocating for even tighter FAA oversight. Currently there are only a limited number of FAA inspectors and they don't look at everything all the time. In that situation the airlines do essentially police themselves to a large extent. It's a question of how much government regulation is desirable. You might want to read my attached response back to him.

[@Astrobucks2]

@@joevignolor4u949 I did read it. Did you? He said "airplane maintenance should be controlled by the FAA" Implying that it was not already (it is controlled by the FAA, but it is not 100% 'administered' by the FAA, key difference). Don't put words in his mouth or try to reinterpret his meaning. I used to work for a major legacy airline's tech ops, and you quite frankly have no idea what you're talking about. They do not, under any circumstances "police themselves" when it comes to maintenance or safety. And yes I read your response. I can tell you're a classic liberal, because they're very threatened by libertarian ideas (i.e. you fear that their ideas make too much sense and people might realize the government needs less control, which means less power for liberals and conservatives alike). The fact is that a small percentage of libertarians actually desire no government oversight at all. Libertarians are not a monolith, and most of them simply propose the idea of no government involvement as a though exercise, which is rational and healthy to 'think' about. Questioning the idea that more government regulation = always better, always safer is absolutely a practical think to do. I realize that might be a threatening notion to control freaks in the establishment political class, but it makes a lot of sense.

[@joevignolor4u949]

@@Astrobucks2 If a flight line mechanic sees a flap mechanism leaking and he can ignore it and let the plane fly then maintenance is not being totally controlled by the FAA.

[@mky.98x34]

When he asked the safety administrator if these mechanics were being pressured or bent, the guy dodged the question two times in a row. Wow

[@clivethefuhrer822]

American Airliners for you...

[@manuelgaetan]

The best thing a Aircraft Mechanic can do is keep a journal of who, what, when, etc. to cover yourself. Wow this sort of behavior never happened at Pan Am Airlines. Wow how times have changed.

[@JacquelineQ_]

Uhhm I get skipping steps in some jobs... but airline mechanics? Yea... I’m going to need them to not skip any steps please. We are flying for gods sake.... yikes this is scary!

[@ElevateResumeDesign]

This needs to be shared immediately

[@ednajnarte2829]

Prayers 🙏 GOOD MORNING ❣️ AMERICA 😇

[@operationhotshotinc.6887]

This is scary. Being as how I’m beginning to fly more for work. I hope they fix this management issue.

[@123habbovids]

This should be considered a act of terrorism. just saying...

[@michaelrodeback1956]

Not terrorism. They're not flying planes into buildings. Just something to be looked at and investigated by the F.A.A.

[@beedoubleu8355]

i know a recently retired sw pilot who always speaks highly of the mechanics so we ought to trust their word

[@jessevaldez37]

F that... I'm flying United !!!

[@kettlebellkyle311]

Jesse Valdez Southwest is one of the airlines in question.

[@jessevaldez37]

@@kettlebellkyle311 what you talking about Willis... lol

[@Mrcharles.]

@Jesse Valdez. Forget Flying! I’ll just go by train from now on!

[@kettlebellkyle311]

Jesse Valdez bruh you edited the comment . What you talking bout Willis ?

[@bbalila]

American Airlines planes are the oldest. When every I Travel in EU, there plans are new & Model like cabin crew.

[@CHENDOdeCOPANDARO]

M.I.L.F. Norah a snack 😍

[@swedesam]

It's possible as a result of this report, future air disasters/crashes will be solely blamed on pilot error (deceased or incapacitated) and not mechanical faults from rushed maintenance management practices.