American Eagle Airlines under TSA probe for security lapses

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States has said it is launching an investigation into the “multiple security violations” by American Eagle Airlines at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. American Eagle Airlines is a regional carrier for American Airlines, the world’s largest carrier. Both are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation.

In a statement, the Transportation Security Administration said,“TSA has consistently found problems at O’Hare International Airport vis-à-vis American Eagle Airlines. This week’s inspection is a follow-up to earlier inspections in which the same vulnerability existed.”

The investigation could result in fines totaling $175,000, the TSA statement added.

CNN quoted an official of TSA as saying that the issue is about American Eagle Airlines’ practice of “leaving unsecured aircraft parked too close to jetways during night hours, when the planes are out of service.”

Airlines, the TSA official clarified, are allowed to park planes with unsecured doors, provided they are parked away from jetways so that they are inaccessible.

On the morning of August 19, 2008, an inspector of TSA had gained access to 7 of 9 parked planes of American Eagle Airlines by hoisting himself up with pipe-like air temperature probes on the side of the aircraft. Pilots use readings from these probes to gauge the probability of icing.

The way the inspector of TSA had gained entry into the planes had angered officials of American Eagle Airlines.

The airline said in a press release: “If not observed by vigilant Eagle employees in Chicago, the actions of this inspector would have been unknown and could have jeopardised the safety of our customers and crew because of potential damage to the sensitive equipment mounted on the aircraft fuselage. American Eagle Airlines is also concerned that the TSA inspector’s method of physically hoisting himself up to the jet bridge using a part of the aircraft could have placed him in physical danger.”

Subsequently, American Eagle Airlines removed all 9 aircraft in question from service in order to inspect the probes and found no damage, the airline said. However, about 40 flights were delayed because of the TSA inspections, it added.

On its part, the TSA has admitted that its inspector made a mistake by touching the American Eagle Airlines’ probe and said the inspector “will undergo retraining.” At the same time, the agency made it clear that the inspections by its inspector “demonstrated a vulnerability that someone with ill intent could have exploited.”

The TSA explained in the statement: “The problem is not systemic, it is one specific to American Eagle Airlines at O’Hare International Airport. The inspector was seeking to close a real danger to the travelling public, not looking for a technical violation. The TSA stands behind the inspector and that effort.”

United States federal security regulations stipulate that jet bridges be pulled back from unattended planes to prevent their use to access aircraft. The jet bridges are operated using keys and codes that only airline and airport employees carrying valid ID badges are authorised to possess.

The regulations also require that doors be closed on unattended airplanes. But, once at door level, anyone can enter the plane since aircraft doors lock only from the inside.

Some airports require that airlines place security seals over doors of aircraft when planes are parked overnight. A broken seal would indicate that someone may have entered the plane and a security search is ordered.

However, Chicago’s Department of Aviation does not require that doors of planes have seals.