FAA Seeks $1 Million Civil Penalty Against American Airlines

FORT WORTH -- The Federal Aviation Administration has
proposed to assess a $1 million civil penalty against American
Airlines for alleged violation of regulations dealing with battery and
battery charger maintenance, and for continuing to operate an
aircraft after being warned that batteries installed on it might not
meet federal regulations.

The batteries in question provide electricity to power floor lighting
that leads passengers to exits during an emergency evacuation of
the aircraft.

The FAA said safety inspections at several American Airlines
facilities revealed that incorrect chargers and chargers with broken
or inoperative cables were being used to charge and store
emergency exit path lighting batteries. In addition, the battery
chargers had not undergone initial and recurrent maintenance
checks specified in American's maintenance manuals. The FAA
said that batteries serviced with these chargers were of "unknown"
reliability. The same problems were found at American's main
battery shop, the FAA said.

In the civil penalty letter to American, the FAA cited 197 instances
were the company failed to ensure employees followed manuals.
Those manuals contain procedures to follow to make sure that
overhauled chargers for emergency track lighting batteries were
the correct chargers and that they had been properly tested
before use. Some of these violations, the FAA alleged, continued
after American was advised of the infractions.

Subsequently, eight batteries of unknown serviceability were
installed on one of its aircraft. The aircraft was operated on 41
revenue flights when the aircraft was not in an airworthy condition.
After the FAA placed American on notice that the batteries might
not meet requirements, American operated the aircraft on an
additional 157 revenue flights. In fact, the FAA alleged, when the
batteries were finally removed, five were discarded as unusable.

American Airlines has requested an informal conference.

This announcement is made in accordance with the FAA's practice
of releasing information to the public on newly issued enforcement
actions involving penalties of $50,000 or more.