Article: Mechanics who don't speak English
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: 135 FO
Posts: 148
Article: Mechanics who don't speak English
Full story here:
News 8 Investigates: Airline mechanics who can't read English | News 8 Investigates | WFAA.com
Interesting if this is true. I have not noticed a problem with lack of english yet with the mechanics I deal with. Laziness yes... but that's another story
News 8 Investigates: Airline mechanics who can't read English | News 8 Investigates | WFAA.com
There are more than 236 FAA-certified aircraft repair stations in Texas, according to the FAA's Web site. News 8 has learned that hundreds of the mechanics working in those shops do not speak English and are unable to read repair manuals for today's sophisticated aircraft.
"There are people [where I work] who do not know how to read a maintenance manual as they are spelled out, because they don't have a clue," said one certified aircraft mechanic who works at a Texas aircraft repair station. He wished to remain anonymous to protect his employment.
News 8 discovered that mechanics at one licensing center in San Antonio were being tested in Spanish as late as last fall. The FAA ultimately shut the facility down.
Supervisors in Texas repair stations say they are supposed to oversee the repairs of dozens of untrained mechanics who can't read the manuals and can't write down the work they've done.
But the FAA does not require every person working at a repair station to be a certified A&P. One certified A&P can sign off on the work of dozens of uncertified mechanics.
That creates a huge problem, another certified mechanic told News 8. "I need an interpreter to talk to these people," he said. "They can't read the manuals, they can't write, and I have so many working for me I can't be sure of the work they've done."
To be sure of proper quality, the supervisor has to either re-do the work himself or take the chance that no mistakes have been made. There is a push to get work out the door and planes back in the air. But when he signs his name to certify the repair for flight, he is legally responsible for it.
"There are people [where I work] who do not know how to read a maintenance manual as they are spelled out, because they don't have a clue," said one certified aircraft mechanic who works at a Texas aircraft repair station. He wished to remain anonymous to protect his employment.
News 8 discovered that mechanics at one licensing center in San Antonio were being tested in Spanish as late as last fall. The FAA ultimately shut the facility down.
Supervisors in Texas repair stations say they are supposed to oversee the repairs of dozens of untrained mechanics who can't read the manuals and can't write down the work they've done.
But the FAA does not require every person working at a repair station to be a certified A&P. One certified A&P can sign off on the work of dozens of uncertified mechanics.
That creates a huge problem, another certified mechanic told News 8. "I need an interpreter to talk to these people," he said. "They can't read the manuals, they can't write, and I have so many working for me I can't be sure of the work they've done."
To be sure of proper quality, the supervisor has to either re-do the work himself or take the chance that no mistakes have been made. There is a push to get work out the door and planes back in the air. But when he signs his name to certify the repair for flight, he is legally responsible for it.
#6
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Posts: 584
Between everything going on in relation to the CJC crash exposing pilot working conditions at the regionals and now this, it's seems like a lot of aviation's dirty laundry is pouring out of the hamper. Maybe these expose's will finally affect some positive change.
This also exposes just how bad and unacceptable our immigration problem is. Here's the next logical question: how many of these people are illegals?
This also exposes just how bad and unacceptable our immigration problem is. Here's the next logical question: how many of these people are illegals?
#7
- The in-house workforce has been around for a longer time on average.
- More of them have to be real A&P's since they need to support line Mx.
- If they do line Mx, they need to be able to talk to pilots...in english.
- They usually work in a SIDA area, so they have background checks and legal right-to-work (unless they establish an elaborate false identity, which would be expensive and dangerous). Most illegals would prefer to stay in the shadows, not work at a big airport where they are bumping into LEO's all day.
- More of them have to be real A&P's since they need to support line Mx.
- If they do line Mx, they need to be able to talk to pilots...in english.
- They usually work in a SIDA area, so they have background checks and legal right-to-work (unless they establish an elaborate false identity, which would be expensive and dangerous). Most illegals would prefer to stay in the shadows, not work at a big airport where they are bumping into LEO's all day.
Last edited by rickair7777; 05-21-2009 at 09:13 AM.
#9
That's why I've always found it important to know your mechanics well and trust them. When I was flying GA I always knew the mechanics who touched my airplanes. That's harder to do with flying 121 since there are generally so many of them.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post