Originally Posted by
wilp888
"I hope that the following information helps to address your concerns regarding our maintenance schedule. In compliance with FAA Regulations, United’s aircraft receive an “A” check every 300 flight hours, which translates to about every 16 days. An “A” check is an extensive review of all the major systems on an aircraft. In addition to this, overnight and other routine service checks are made weekly. We also perform “C” checks in which every component of the aircraft is thoroughly inspected by highly qualified system-specific inspectors. United ensures that all of our aircraft are in the safest operating condition possible. Rest assured that safety will always be our number one focus."
But Dad, I did study! I don't know why I got an F on that exam!" Well, you got the "F" because you studied as much as you decided you needed to, but that wasn't enough to get the job done.
United may be doing an "A" check every 300 hours, and a "C" check now & then, but it's apparently not to a high-enough standard.
On today's (2/3/08) UAX 5905, ORD-MSN, we boarded a CRJ700 that had earlier had an issue with a problem with the computer. They said it was a "message that wouldn't clear." It went away, and we boarded on-time. But a short while after boarding, we were told the message had come back, and they couldn't clear it. They brought in a maintenance person, and 20 minutes later the plane was "declared not airworthy" (gee, couldn't they have softened it a bit by saying something like "Sorry, the plane's not quite right, and on UA, we fly only perfect planes!
). So we de-planed and waited for them to find us another (which they apparently did by cancelling a flight to Charleston, or some other city that started with a "C" I think... good for us, bad for them).
An hour and a half late and we were on our way. My experience with hour+ flight delays (not weather-related) is probably over 20% now. I'm sorry, but I'm past the point of being convinced they're doing everything they can to fly planes in top mechanical shape. I'm
not suggesting they're flying planes that are dangerous. Just saying that they're cutting corners that are creating reliability problems for them. As long as the pilots catch them, we're fine.