Here’s one example of why the FAA fined American Airlines

No doubt, many of you who don't want to read a 58-page enforcement letter still want to get an idea of what the Federal Aviation Administration found before fining American Airlines $24.2 million.

Let's take aircraft N475AA, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-80, built in 1988. Here's what the FAA enforcement letter listed as the mistakes made on fastening down a wiring harness in the wheel well:

N475AA maintenance records date April 9, 2008, showed:

1) clamp 17 installed with clip nut, should be installed with nut and washer,

2) clamp 19 installed incorrect hardware,

3) auxiliary hydraulic pump connector cross threaded, plug P1-132,

4) Caterpillar strip needs to be repositioned under harness

5) clamps (16 and 17) need to be repositioned to face fwd,

6) reposition ground wires chafing against drain hose,

7) clamps (13 and 14) need to be moved to proper position,

8) clamp 16 installed with clip nut, instead of nut and washer, and

9) spacing on several string ties in whale bone fairing too far apart.

The enforcement letter said the airplane was operated on 58 passengers flights between March 26, 2008, to April 8, 2008, in non-compliance with the airworthiness directive.

Most of the letter was devoted to this kind of detail - listing what American was supposed to do, what it actually did and the alleged violations.

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