AA / Delta inspections of MD8x fleet - any aircraft found lacking/put out of service?

[shogan1977]

Not sure where to ask this question, but I was just wondering in the context of the Spanair crash, whether the FAA directed inspections of MD8x aircraft in US focusing on wiring and possible "cracking" of airframes had led to any of the AA or Delta fleet of MD8Xs being out out of service - either temporarily or permanently? Or are they all in perfect condition?

[WhatsaLizad?]

As an AA guy, after reading your 29/7/08 quote, I won't be addressing any question from you.:hmm:


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Openskies/EC chooses Schiphol over Brussels as its second continental point of departure... :ugh: Any idea if they will ever fly from Brussels? Can't take AA anymore! http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/bah.gif

[sevenstrokeroll]

in the context of the spanair:

I don't recall anything about cracking airframes on MD80's. I do recall cracking airframes on Southwest Airlines 737's.

I can't imagine the wiring issue causing or being related to the spanair tragedy.

AS for the FAA ordering anything...it is still too early...no one knows what happend to spanair.

BUT, I would rather fly a well maintained, properly flown MD80 than a brand new Airbus320 series (or a 737 for that matter).

The philosophy of the douglas planes was KISS. and if you don't know what KISS means, look it up. I respect douglas planes more than airbus or boeing.

[AerospaceAce]

I totally agree sevenstrokeroll. It was a sad day when M-D past into history.

[sevenstrokeroll]

thank you aerospaceace

funny, when boeing wanted to buy an airliner, they bought douglas!

the only way boeing could beat the md80/dc9 series was to buy it and stop building it.

[drivez]

If something really catastrophic did come out of this investigation, and the MD-82 did have some fatal flaw that was very expensive to repair or entailed the aircraft being scraped, would't this pretty much kill off AA. I mean with 242 MD-82's that run their domestic services wouldn't that mean an end to domestic services? Certainly at DFW the MD-80 series aircraft is the only aircraft you see for hours.

[sevenstrokeroll]

the odds against finding something catastrophic that might ground the entire md80 fleet are huge.

the plane is a well understood design. the forerunner of the md80, the dc9 first flew about 43 years ago...if something bad was out there, it wouldn't just show up after 40 years.

[TURIN]

The philosophy of the douglas planes was KISS.

Have you seen the 'ships wheel' set up? Sorry, but it didn't look simple to me. No offence meant I just disagree. :ok:

[sevenstrokeroll]

really not sure what you mean by "ships wheel".

[Airbubba]

Maybe he's talking about the 'suitcase handles', the 'lollipop' or the 'sugar scoop', the old DC's had equipment names more colorful than those of the taxiways at ORD.

[shogan1977]

Sevenstrokeroll, not sure if I got you on a bad day(?) but I seem to have p***ed you off!

May be use of language could have been better... When I said "in the context of the spanair" I did not intend to suggest that airframes or wiring had anything to do with the Madrid accident. I have zero idea what led to that very sad and tragic loss of life. I 100% agree it is too early to know what happened and I have no desire or interest in speculating.

But that said, it made me think of AA having to temporarily ground their entire MD80 fleet this year to carry out the checks previously referred to, and I was just wondering if their checks had led to any 'discoveries' - which given the age of the fleet would not be surprising.

To be clear - I have no preference for either an A319/320/321 or a 737. And I also happen to like MD a lot and it’s a shame that the Boeing / MD merger was ever allowed to happen. Competition is the only thing that drives the manufacturers forward.

I have zero concern about flying in a "well maintained" older aircraft. Indeed I don't care if the aircraft is 1 year old or 15 years old as long as it is being maintained properly by competent, professional staff with a strong safety culture.

With that in mind, it seems AA are not averse to deferring maintanence... http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=10269 (http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=10269)

[shogan1977]

So I guess no one has any info on this?