The Allied Pilots Association, a union that represents American Airlines pilots, has sent a warning to its members, saying it’s seen “a significant spike in safety- and maintenance-related problems in our operation.”
The claim, obtained by Bloomberg, warned of “problematic trends” that it has been tracking, including one instance where tools were left in wheel wells, an increase in aircraft collisions among planes being towed, an increase in items left in the safety area near jet bridges, and “pressure to return aircraft to line service to maintain on-time performance due to a lack of spares.”
Along with the memo was a picture of a hammer that the union claims was found in an Airbus A319 wheel well last month at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport before a flight to Iowa, CBS News reported.
The hammer was found by the flight’s first officer during his preflight walkaround. He reportedly notified the captain, who called maintenance to inspect the aircraft. They then found “Channellock style pliers and a screwdriver also located inside the wheel well.”
Even more concerning, the union says that no maintenance actions were open at the time the tool was found.
Concerns have been raised across the board for airlines, with heavy scrutiny falling on Boeing and United Airlines over their recent safety issues. The union addressed this in the memo, saying the issue is bigger than one airline.
“While United Airlines is currently under public and government scrutiny, it could just as easily be American Airlines,” the memo said.
APA President Capt. Ed Sicher shared a statement in the message to his union members on Monday, saying they were working to address the safety issues.
“We met with (American’s) senior management earlier this month to discuss the operational hazards we have identified. ... We now have management’s full attention,” Sicher said. “We secured management’s commitment to involve the union earlier in the safety risk assessment (SRA) process, and we are likewise seeking a commitment that APA will have a seat at the table for the entire quality assurance process. ... Management’s initial response to our concerns was encouraging.”
“Safety at any airline is a shared mission, and it’s especially true at American,” the airline said in response to the raised concerns, CBS News reported. “Our robust safety program is guided by our industry-leading safety management system.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has also addressed the concerns, saying it “requires all U.S. airlines to have Safety Management Systems (SMS) through which they identify, monitor and address potential hazards early on before they become serious problems.”