News 8 Investigates: Airline mechanics who can't read English
10:03 AM CDT on Saturday, May 16, 2009
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA-TV

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News 8 has recently revealed serious flaws in the way the FAA licenses mechanics who fix planes.

There is evidence of years of problems in testing these mechanics. There is also evidence that hundreds of mechanics with questionable licenses are working on aircraft in Texas.

Now there is evidence of repair facilities hiring low-wage mechanics who can't read English.

Twenty-one people were killed when U.S. Airways Express Flight 5481 crashed in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2003. The plane went wildly out of control on takeoff.

One reason for the crash, investigators found, was that mechanics incorrectly connected the cables to some of the plane's control surfaces in the repair shop. The FAA was cited for improper oversight of the repair process.

Repairing airplanes is a complicated business. Airplanes have many manuals. Typically, when mechanics repair a part, they open the manual, consult the book, and make the repair step-by-step, as if it were a recipe book.

They make a list of every action they take, so the next person to fix the plane (as well as the people who fly it) will know exactly what has been done.

If mechanics don't speak English, the international language of aviation, they can't read the manual and they can't record their activities.

There are more than 236 FAA-certified aircraft repair stations in Texas, according to the FAA's Web site. News 8 has learned that hundreds of the mechanics working in those shops do not speak English and are unable to read repair manuals for today's sophisticated aircraft.

Former FAA inspector Bill McNease told News 8 he regularly encountered applicants for pilots’ licenses who tried to pretend they could speak English - but could not.

"When I was based in Dallas, I had that happen every week," McNease said. "It was not uncommon at all to have foreign flight students. We had mechanics, but I handled the pilot end of it.... and I turned down people every week because they couldn't speak English."

"There are people [where I work] who do not know how to read a maintenance manual as they are spelled out, because they don't have a clue," said one certified aircraft mechanic who works at a Texas aircraft repair station. He wished to remain anonymous to protect his employment.

To certify a part for flight or repair an engine, a mechanic must be licensed by the FAA as an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, known in the business as an "A&P."

News 8 discovered that mechanics at one licensing center in San Antonio were being tested in Spanish as late as last fall. The FAA ultimately shut the facility down.

Supervisors in Texas repair stations say they are supposed to oversee the repairs of dozens of untrained mechanics who can't read the manuals and can't write down the work they've done.

But the FAA does not require every person working at a repair station to be a certified A&P. One certified A&P can sign off on the work of dozens of uncertified mechanics.

That creates a huge problem, another certified mechanic told News 8. "I need an interpreter to talk to these people," he said. "They can't read the manuals, they can't write, and I have so many working for me I can't be sure of the work they've done."

To be sure of proper quality, the supervisor has to either re-do the work himself or take the chance that no mistakes have been made. There is a push to get work out the door and planes back in the air. But when he signs his name to certify the repair for flight, he is legally responsible for it.

The root of the problem is money, mechanics say. A certified mechanic can earn upwards of $25 an hour in Texas. Technicians who can't speak English are often hired for less than $10, according to mechanics interviewed by News 8.

"I've been wanting to leave this company since the day I got there," said one certified A&P. "But with the economy the way it is, I've got kids to feed and I have to stay there. I don't want to be anywhere near one of those planes when it kills somebody."

The FAA is supposed to police repair stations, but insiders say the agency is more focused on looking at paperwork than inspecting the facilities. Insiders also say inspectors warn repair stations when they're coming.

"In Dallas, most of them would map it out and tell them what day they were going to be there," said Gene Bland, a former FAA inspector.

Safety, mechanics say, is at risk. "In my opinion," said one, "company owners should all be locked up because someone's going to die eventually, if it hasn't already happened."

Texas' two biggest airlines, American and Southwest, both require mechanics and the technicians who work under them to speak, read and write English.

But mechanics who work elsewhere - whose repairs often end up on commercial airliners - say their shops are filled with non-English speakers.

The FAA declined to be interviewed for this report.


Report: Airlines Are Hiring Mechanics Who Can't Speak English, Read Manuals
Tuesday, May 19, 2009

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Investigators reportedly have uncovered evidence of airline repair centers hiring low-wage mechanics who are unable to read English.

Aircraft repair requires even experienced mechanics to frequently consult manuals that are written in English and leave a detailed record of what repairs they have made, according to WFAA-TV.

Still, hundreds of mechanics working in the more than 236 FAA-certified aircraft repair stations in Texas were not familiar enough with the English language to even read the manuals that coincide with the kinds of planes they were expected to fix, WFAA reported.

"There are people [where I work] who do not know how to read maintenance manuals as they are spelled out, because they don't have a clue," one Texas aircraft mechanic told the station.

But hiring a certified mechanic in Texas costs upwards of $25 an hour, compared to the less than $10 technicians who can't speak English will do the work for.

The desire to save money is putting airline safety at risk.

"In my opinion," one mechanic told the station, "company owners should all be locked up because someone's going to die eventually, if it hasn't already happened."

[smiley=yikes.gif]

Quote:

The root of the problem is money, mechanics say. A certified mechanic can earn upwards of $25 an hour in Texas. Technicians who can't speak English are often hired for less than $10, according to mechanics interviewed by News 8.

`

There ya go. All I can say is that trying to save a buck stops here! It makes me wonder if there were some other causes of the Buffalo crash. The commuter airline there is really into cheap.

It ain't right.  >:(

Charlie

First we've got to worry about untrained pilots, or those that fail repeated tests flying the secondary or commuter flights.  Now, we gotta worry about the people who are supposed to make sure every plane in the air is in tip top shape, but they can't read English.

Shit.  This really makes me want to reconsider my US Air flights to St. Thomas in September.    NAH!  Just cross your fingers for me.

Sandy

Sandy_C wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 5:44pm:

First we've got to worry about untrained pilots, or those that fail repeated tests flying the secondary or commuter flights.  Now, we gotta worry about the people who are supposed to make sure every plane in the air is in tip top shape, but they can't read English. Shit.  This really makes me want to reconsider my US Air flights to St. Thomas in September.    NAH!  Just cross your fingers for me. Sandy

Guess you're just gonna have to drive to St. Louis instead.

What Brew said.   Except it is in july not Sept.  


Nah.....St Thomas under any circumstances is worth the risk.

Okay, both.

(Attributed to other airlines as well but still worth the read, Brian.)

Here are some actual logged maintenance complaints and problems as submitted by Qantas pilots and the solution recorded by maintenance engineers.

By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident.

(P = The problem logged by the pilot.) (S = The solution and action taken by the engineers.)

P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement.

S: Almost replaced left inside main tyre.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.

S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.

S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.

S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.

S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.

S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.

S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.

S: That's what they're there for.

P: IFF inoperative.

S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.

S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.

S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.

S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.

S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.

S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.

S: Took hammer away from midget

Good people of Clusterville,

A few factoids and a different perspective on this topic you might want to consider.

It's not the evil aircraft manufacturers...  It's the idiot congress and unions that drove, and continue to drive, aircraft production and maintenance off shore...  It's been happening since the late 60s when Congress and the unions started making commuter aircraft production and maintenance so expensive due to prohibitive Federal tax and strong arm union concessions.  At that point, the law of supply and demand took effect, trumped congress, turned it's back on unions, and went off shore.  Lotsa good folks lost their jobs working on aircraft production lines and aircraft maintenance when these companies were down-sized and driven out of business by the idiots in Congress and the same union mentality that has destroyed most of our auto industry.

There is a bright side of this coin...  During the mid-70's I kept 3 of my 15 assigned F-4 Phantom fighters in rework facilities on a rotating basis at Air-Asia/E-Systems in Taipei, Taiwan, the NIPPI Corporation at the Aircraft Rework facility, Atsugi Air Base, Japan,  and Naval Air Repair Facility, NAS Cubi Pt, RP.

I walked the production lines at each repair facility to watch my aircraft go through rework on several occasions and it was a very rare day I found anyone working on any of my aircraft that could speak English...  And... when they came out of rework, the jets looked great and flew great too.  As the Squadron Maintenance Officer, I flew all the Acceptance Check Flights and most of the ferry flights back aboard ship.

In addition, you can rest assured that the majority of folks that built all the twin engine turboprop commuter bug smashers you ride from local airports to the mega hubs... don't speak a word of English either...  

Most of these aircraft are made in Brazil by Embraer a.k.a. Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica, S. A. (Brazilian aerospace conglomerate)...

This is a great reminder to the social progressive liberals...  You were the ones that wanted a global economy, big unions, and other peoples money to pay for your social agenda...  

The only problem is you forgot about unintended consequences... so don't come crying when you realize you finally got what you wanted...  and it wasn't what you expected!

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Good stuff Batch.

Is there any ill of any kind that isn't the direct result of all those liberal traitors in Congress? We want to know.

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 11:01pm:

Good stuff Batch. Is there any ill of any kind that isn't the direct result of all those liberal traitors in Congress? We want to know. Charlie

Just saw where Rush is blaming Sanford's adultery on Obama. Seems that Obama has spread so much liberalism over America that he destroyed hope among Republicans ... a natural response to this despair is for conservatives to jet around the world having affairs at the taxpayers' expense.  

Charlie,

For the record...  There was a time when I voted for true Americans that just happened to be Democrats...  Senators Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, and Warren G. Magnuson...  Both were strong on Defense and foreign affairs including support to Israel. The were also strong in their support of sound domestic policies that created more jobs than they ever lost.  They held taxes down and didn't hug trees or push for union control of the aircraft industry at Boeing...   They were common sense people who never forgot they worked for the voters in the State of Washington...

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Charlie wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 11:01pm:

Good stuff Batch. Is there any ill of any kind that isn't the direct result of all those liberal traitors in Congress? We want to know. Charlie

Good stuff Batch Charlie.

Is there any ill of any kind that isn't the direct result of all those liberal traitors in Congress Bush? We want to know.


;)

My daughter is boarding a plane in Dallas right now.  I don't feel reassured.

But, I still would be more concerned about her if she were driving instead.

monty wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 11:29pm:

Charlie wrote on Jun 26th, 2009 at 11:01pm: Good stuff Batch. Is there any ill of any kind that isn't the direct result of all those liberal traitors in Congress? We want to know. Charlie Just saw where Rush is blaming Sanford's adultery on Obama. Seems that Obama has spread so much liberalism over America that he destroyed hope among Republicans ... a natural response to this despair is for conservatives to jet around the world having affairs at the taxpayers' expense.

rush blames every fuckin thing on obama. where sanford sticks his dohicky has nothing to do with liberalism and everything to do with the fact that hes a creep. until rush can agnolage that republicans can blame no one else to blame but themselves maybe rush would gain some credibility but he never will cuz hes an a$$hole.

Batch wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 11:37pm:

Charlie, For the record...  There was a time when I voted for true Americans that just happened to be Democrats...  Senators Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, and Warren G. Magnuson...  Both were strong on Defense and foreign affairs including support to Israel. The were also strong in their support of sound domestic policies that created more jobs than they ever lost.  They held taxes down and didn't hug trees or push for union control of the aircraft industry at Boeing...   They were common sense people who never forgot they worked for the voters in the State of Washington... Take care, V/R, Batch

unions aren't unions anymore, they are clubs. the soul purpose of a union is to assure that the workers have rights. these so called unions seek out companies who have workers that already have a good wage and benefits. for instance the teamsters union. the teamsters seeked out overnight. overnight driver already made union scale and had comparable benefits. if overnight drivers went union they would actually make less factoring in the union dues. why would these drivers need any kind of representation from the teamsters.

also the teamsters union is not interested in these companies who's drivers stay out for weeks at a time and clear $600 a week and have no benefits what so ever. these are the people that desperately need to be unionized and the teamsters union doesn't give 2 shits about them.

i just got hired on at con way a non union carrier. most of the ltl trucking companies around columbus have closed there doors that have been around for 80 or so years however conway pays their drivers more than scale and they are hiring by the 100s. union carriers have allot of bullshit rules and allot of politics. not to mention allot of severely damaged freight.

unions tell you what to do, when your going to do it, and how to vote. i'll vote for someone because i believe in what they stand for not because i'm told to. in wich case you could blame this on the "Democrats"

Quote:

why would these drivers need any kind of representation from the teamsters.

To keep the union reps and all the vendors that supply benefits to the union members (i.e., insurance salesmen) in a job.

These union bosses sold out a long time ago. They care as much about the rank and file as our congresscritters do.

I'm usually not a fan of unions until I realize that before them, workers were treated as not much more than slaves by most of our wonderful industrial giants. My thinking is that all in all, they've done more good than harm.

Batch: These indeed were good guys....old fashioned politicians. I miss them. I almost always voted Republican until 1984. By that time the GOP lost its grip on common sense and did its best to support only candidates that pretended to support far right social causes. They found a way to stick around when they cornered the Christian conservative vote. Being the party of the Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertson types is more dangerous to our democracy than liberal ideas.

In order to keep these people happy in their zeal to twist or deny science and traditional American belief in critical thinking, the GOP lost me. Using these people only to get votes made me look elsewhere and I found people that didn't deny our history and treated rivals as just that rather than evil. These people made the GOP a party of intolerance and a party incapable of civil debate. What a shame. I doubt that they would welcome the  Everett Dirksens, Barry Goldwaters or Howard Bakers back into the party.

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Jun 27^th, 2009 at 12:14pm:

[size=12]I'm usually not a fan of unions until I realize that before them, workers were treated as not much more than slaves by most of our wonderful industrial giants. My thinking is that all in all, they've done more good than harm.

I don't give them a pass for what they've become. At one time unions were a good thing. But like I said above, their leaders have sold out.

Charlie,

You knew Hoffa...  What would he say?

JoHnny's right. The time for unions passed a long time ago...  There are so many public laws now governing trucking and interstate transportation of goods the idiots in congress wrote to help the unions, but they had the unintended consequence of defeating their original intent.

All unions do now is buy politicians that will re-write existing legislation so it will favor unions and make it nearly impossible for non-union small business.  

Ask Dingy Harry about the Service Employees International Union SEIU...  They've lined his election campaign pockets with millions every year...

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Linda_Howell wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 6:54pm:

What Brew said.   Except it is in july not Sept.   Nah.....St Thomas under any circumstances is worth the risk.

, in


St. Thomas it is in Sept - we fly from Charlotte NC nonstop to St Thomas on 9/12.  Our 40th anniversary is 9/13 and we are spending it in St. Thomas no matter what.  Except....hurricane ???

As to the mechanics of our US Air flight, I'll leave that one to the power above and pray.  Ill also be praying - no hurricanes and would appreciate as much help from all of you should you have any "ins" to the power above.

Sandy

I noticed you artfully dodged the suggestion of coming to St. Louis in July.

Tell you what - we'll pray for talented mechanics and high pressure systems in September if you'll come and hug my neck in July. Deal?

Brew, Bill, my brother.

Yes, I did artfully dodge July in St. Louis, and believe me, I would give anything to hug y ur neck.  Here is my July schedule:

Weekend - 7/10 - 7/12 - granddaughter's first birthday - not allowed to miss under any circumstances.  Hope all understand.

Weekend 7/17 - 7/19 - Wedding of best friend - I am matron of honor. Can't "not be there.

Weekend 7/24 - 7/26 - Wedding, son of closest friend for 20+ years.  They came to both my daughters wedding, can't not show to theirs.

Weekend - 7/30 (Thurs) - 8/4 - Babysitting granddaughter while daughter and son-in law celebrate 10th anniversary.

July?????  What's that?  Never heard of it.

Sigh - Dauum, I'm tired just reading my own itinerary.

Sandy

Well, sheeeuut, Sandy. I sure am gonna miss you.

Like I already do.

Me too, Bill.  

SMOOCH!

Sandy

Batch wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 10:54pm:

[size=18]Good people of Clusterville, A few factoids and a different perspective on this topic you might want to consider. It's not the evil aircraft manufacturers...  It's the idiot congress and unions that drove, and continue to drive, ...

Actually, it is much simpler than that. When a company gets a contract to provide qualified mechanics, or has a airline schedule to carry passengers, they have to hire qualified mechanics. If they don't, they create a problem - no need to blame society.

Likewise, when you see a kid at a burger stand picking his zits and then handling food, don't blame schools or gay marriage or the recent Earth Day celebration ... this is a problem that comes from a lack of training and supervision from the fast food chain. Period.  

The fact that we have FAA oversight or a local food inspector does not relieve businesses of their responsibility to consider safety in all they do.... although these government overseers sometimes could use more oversight themselves.

Quote:

government overseers sometimes could use more oversight themselves.

Monty,

I couldn't agree more... Here are some additional examples...

DHS is now enforcing illegal immigration laws by closing down businesses with punitive fines for hiring illegal aliens, but not deporting the illegal aliens. At the same time, idiots in Congress turn around and write a public law and amend others that allow illegal aliens to be hired on "shovel ready" Federal stimulus projects with tax dollars we don't have so the idiots in Congress must borrow them.  Why that is???  

We have over 7 million American taxpayers that are unemployed now and the unemployment rate continues to rise from 6.4% in 4Q 2008 to 8.1% in 1Q 2009 and presently stands at 9.4% as of May 2009 yet many idiots in Congress want to increase the number of alien guest workers allowed to enter the U.S. and still refuse to call for the enforcement of existing laws directing the deportation of illegal aliens...  Why that is?

As if that weren't bad enough, instead of bringing pressure on Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies to enforce existing immigration laws and deport people found guilty of entering the US illegally, Congress makes sure illegal aliens are provided with free medical care in every emergency room and leaves provisions open so they qualify for Medicaid.  Why that is???

While we are a humane society, and giving medical aid is the right thing to do for anyone needing it, we are also a Nation of laws, yet even after people are clearly identified as illegal aliens (Federal laws prohibit asking suspected illegal aliens receiving aid in the ER about their immigration status), deportation is rare.  Why that is???

Congress also provides an estimated 3 million anchor babies of illegal aliens with free medical insurance up to the age of 19 under a law they passed and amended called the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  CHIP is paid for primarily by a Federal tax that was increased to $105.69 on every 1000 cigarettes ($21.14 a carton, $2.12 a pack) per the ‘‘Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009’’.  

I'll tell you why that is...  The reason why the idiots in Congress pushed the legislation above and fails to call for the enforcement of existing laws governing illegal immigration is very clear...  These idiots are pandering to the illegal alien parents of the anchor babies so that once they are given amnesty and allowed to vote, or be registered fraudulently by ACORN so they can vote to keep these idiots in power.  In addition, the idiots in Congress hope they'll have a generation of anchor babies that will vote the same when they come of age.  

I could go into the Barney Frank and Chris Dodd subprime loan gig, or the Chris Dodd "Friends of Angelo" loans to show were congressional oversight is little more that the foxes running the hen house, but I'll save that for another time as all this is a matter of record (like the Congressional Record) with plenty of incriminating evidence in their own words on You Tube.

Take care...  and BOHICA.

V/R, Batch