Alaska Airlines will inspect its MD-80 series aircraft to ensure that a tail mechanism implicated in a crash at the carrier nearly six years ago is being properly maintained, the airline said Friday.
Inspections of two dozen planes will begin Saturday, initiated by the Seattle-based carrier after the Federal Aviation Administration began investigating complaints by a mechanic about possible maintenance shortfalls.
Alaska disputes the claims and said safety was never compromised.
The checks will focus on a vertical screw assembly in the tail fin that moves a wing-like stabilizer that helps to control the angle of flight.
Failure of the “jackscrew” caused the crash of Flight 261, an Alaska MD-80, on Jan. 31, 2000, off the coast of Southern California. All 88 people aboard were killed.
The crash investigation revealed the 2-foot(-) screw had not been greased properly, leading to damaging wear and failure. The FAA subsequently mandated new procedures for more frequent jackscrew inspection and lubrication.
The MD-80 inspections should take a few weeks to complete, the airline said.
Alaska disclosed to regulators two weeks ago that a mechanic inspected an 8-year-old MD-83 in January and said it likely had not been adequately greased at a contract maintenance facility the previous November. The airline found no excessive wear on the part to suggest inadequate lubrication but still clarified instructions for jackscrew inspections and maintenance.
A spokesman for the contract maintenance company, AAR Aircraft Services, said the work done in Oklahoma City was performed properly.
Another report by the same mechanic on Sept. 20 questioned after an inspection whether the jackscrew on another plane, a 13-year-old MD-83, had been greased properly. That jackscrew was removed after the mechanic noted an unusual noise. An FAA inspector found no lubrication problems.
“The FAA’s initial review of Alaska’s investigation indicates proper procedures were followed in both cases,” agency spokeswoman Laura Brown said. However, the FAA will look more closely at both incidents.
The MD series planes were made by McDonnell Douglas, which was absorbed by Boeing Co. several years ago.
