Alaska Airlines Faces Steep Fines

Troubled Alaska Airlines, whose maintenance procedures have been under increased scrutiny since a January crash that killed 88 people, should pay nearly $1 million in fines, The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday.

None of the fines concern Flight 261, the MD-83 that crashed off the coast of California January 31. However, the violations cited by the FAA concern other MD-80 series aircraft, as well as 737s.

The FAA actually proposed two fines, one of $878,500 for four violations of maintenance regulations and a second of $110,000 for allegedly flying an MD-80 aircraft at least 1,300 times without a working digital flight data recorder.

• On April 12, the airline allegedly returned an MD-80 to service without correcting items that showed up in a maintenance check, including problems with the air conditioning, a fuel tank, hydraulics and passenger oxygen generators. That single incident prompted an FAA check of all the airline's maintenance procedures, which turned up 21 aircraft that had also been returned to service with outstanding maintenance probems.

  "Alaska did not perform required inspections for three of the 21 aircraft," said the agency in a statement. "As a result, Alaska operated these aircraft on thousands of revenue flights when it failed to comply with its General Maintenance Manual, Continuing Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP) and operations specifications."

• On April 8, a 737 was allowed to fly even though a glidescope, an instrument which "provides vertical guidance"failed a self-test, the FAA charged.
• For almost a year, from April 20, 1999, to April 8, 2000, Alaska flew one 737 and two MD-80s "with maintenance improperly deferred" on items like a drain valve power circuit breaker and a stair light, the FAA claimed.

"It's important for people to realize that the proposed penalties are a result of the white glove audit that the FAA conducted back in the spring," said Jack Evans, spokesman, an airline spokesman. "At that time, Alaska Airlines put together a comprehensive action plan to address the issues that were raised by the FAA."

"We feel that we have made a strong effort at addressing all the issues identified by the FAA," Evans said.

The FAA has proposed 58 fines of greater than $50,000 this year, 19 of them against airlines. The highest, $2.5 million, was proposed for a manufacturer's alleged violation of rules.

The largest proposed fine against an airline was a $698,000 finding against American Airlines for operating two aircraft with incorrect circuit breakers on passenger flights 113 times. The agency does not publicize fines smaller than $50,000.

After an investigation or inspection, the FAA proposes fines and allows the airline 30 days to appeal the findings.

Evans said it was too soon to say if the airline would appeal.

The crash of flight 261 is still under investigation.

By JARRETT MURPHY