ASA Grounds 60 CRJs for Maintenance Checks
By Gregory Polek
April 1, 2009
Air Transport and Cargo, Maintenance and Modifications
Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines last night voluntarily grounded 60 of its Bombardier CRJ200s after an internal audit showed that maintenance crews might not have inspected their GE CF34 turbofans according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. ASA operates 110 of the fifty-seat regional jets, as well as 38 seventy-seat CRJ700s and a pair of 76-seat CRJ900s.
An ASA spokesperson didn’t immediately know the details of the maintenance checks in question, only that the airline deemed the measure necessary due to the lack of certain documentation needed to maintain airworthiness. “ASA voluntarily self-reported engine re-inspection plans to the FAA…to ensure paper compliance with the engine manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations.
“We’ve already cleared some through the process and we’re working on having all the inspections completed in the next 36 hours,” she added.
The spokesperson couldn’t estimate the number of flights that the grounding might affect because Delta and other Delta Connection regionals would help cover the shortfall. “That number is kind of rolling, but we’re doing our best to cover as many as we can,” she said.
AINonline.com
By Gregory Polek
April 1, 2009
Air Transport and Cargo, Maintenance and Modifications
Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines last night voluntarily grounded 60 of its Bombardier CRJ200s after an internal audit showed that maintenance crews might not have inspected their GE CF34 turbofans according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. ASA operates 110 of the fifty-seat regional jets, as well as 38 seventy-seat CRJ700s and a pair of 76-seat CRJ900s.
An ASA spokesperson didn’t immediately know the details of the maintenance checks in question, only that the airline deemed the measure necessary due to the lack of certain documentation needed to maintain airworthiness. “ASA voluntarily self-reported engine re-inspection plans to the FAA…to ensure paper compliance with the engine manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations.
“We’ve already cleared some through the process and we’re working on having all the inspections completed in the next 36 hours,” she added.
The spokesperson couldn’t estimate the number of flights that the grounding might affect because Delta and other Delta Connection regionals would help cover the shortfall. “That number is kind of rolling, but we’re doing our best to cover as many as we can,” she said.
AINonline.com
