Rechecking Wire Bundles In Older Planes

The FAA's sudden, renewed interest in closely monitoring airline maintenance procedures led American Airlines to cancel about 200 domestic flights Wednesday, so crews could inspect wire bundles on a number of the carrier's MD-82 and MD-83 aircraft.

“We are reinspecting the MD80s to make sure the wiring is installed and secured exactly according to the directive,” American spokesman Tim Wagner told The Associated Press. He did not specify where the wiring bundles were located on the planes, or what function they serve.

American discovered the problem during a joint audit of American's maintenance processes, by representatives with the FAA and the airline.

“We are in the process of completing the inspections on the remaining airplanes and will return them to service on a rolling basis throughout the day,” Wagner said.

While such a large number of cancellations is unusual -- and will certainly result in hassles for a significant number of travelers -- American notes the figure represents less than 10 percent of its daily scheduled service. Roughly 50 departures each were cancelled from American's hubs at DFW International and Chicago O'Hare.

The MD-80s represent the backbone of American's short-to-medium-range domestic network. With nearly 300 planes in its fleet, the Fort Worth-based carrier is by far the largest operator of the type.

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