So Far, No Problems Found

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 03.21.08 1400 EDT: On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration clarified earlier reports the agency had forced United Airlines to ground seven of its Boeing 747-400s, due to possible avionics calibration errors. Agency spokesman Ian Gregor told The Associated Press the FAA did not order the checks, as previously reported -- but that United pulled the planes from service on its own accord.

In related news, United said Friday it had found no errors with altitude reporting equipment on seven planes that recently underwent maintenance at a facility in South Korea. FAA inspectors recently found calibration equipment out-of-spec at that facility, which led to the groundings.

United spokeswoman Jean Medina said one of the affected aircraft was back in service Thursday night, with the other six due to return shortly. Medina admitted the checks are taking longer than the "few hours" the airline originally predicted... but stressed no flights were delayed due to the problem. (There are a number of passenger reports to the contrary, however -- Ed.)

Original Report

 This'll do nothing to quell the argument over outsourced maintenance for US airlines. On Thursday, seven United Airlines Boeing 747-400s were temporarily grounded, while personnel worked to determine whether cockpit avionics serviced at a South Korean maintenance station were in compliance.

The FAA ordered the jets grounded, according to The Wall Street Journal, after calibration equipment at the Ameco facility was found to be faulty. A source close to the matter said the needed checks require only a few hours, but added one UAL flight from San Francisco had already been delayed by as much as five hours.

FAA inspectors in South Korea reportedly found some of the equipment at Ameco wasn't properly calibrated, and ordered the airline to ground the aircraft.

United's action comes two days after the FAA announced a sweeping "spot check" program, to determine whether airline maintenance facilities were properly complying with required checks and airworthiness directives. The agency took action following revelations Southwest Airlines failed to comply with required fatigue and rudder inspection checks last year, but continued flying the planes anyway.

United spokeswoman Jean Medina told Bloomberg the airline "found no issues" so far, and claimed no flights had been delayed or cancelled due to the checks.

It didn't take long for Teamsters President James Hoffa Jr. to link the groundings to the controversial issue of outsourced maintenance at foreign-owned facilities. "This just shows how risky it is to send airplanes offshore to be repaired," Hoffa said. As ANN reported Thursday, the Teamsters are actively seeking to take over representation for United mechanics.

Medina downplayed Hoffa's claims. "United's maintenance requirements and procedures meet, and typically exceed, FAA standards," she said in an email to Bloomberg. "They are the same no matter where the work is performed -- in the United States or overseas."

It's not clear how many United 747s may have flown away from the facility with erroneous altitude recording calibrations, or if planes flying for other airlines may have also been affected.

FMI: www.united.com, www.faa.gov