FAA Proposes $547,500 Civil Penalty Against Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines. File photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

A $547,500 Civil Penalty is being proposed against Hawaiian Airlines for allegedly operating a Boeing 767-300 that was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

The allegations were brought by the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration for alleged non compliance with an Airworthiness Directive that requires inspections of certain engine thrust reverser components.

The FAA alleges Hawaiian operated the aircraft “thousands of times” when it was not in compliance, according to a press release issued last week.

“The purpose of the Airworthiness Directive was to prevent a portion of the thrust reverser from coming off in flight, which could cause a rapid decompression of the aircraft,” the press release stated.

The FAA said the discovery was made during a July 2012 inspection, in which they discovered that some of the airlines records, “erroneously showed the Airworthiness Directive did not apply to one of its Boeing 767 aircraft.”

The FAA alleges Hawaiian operated the aircraft more than 5,000 times, between July 2004 and July 2012 when it was allegedly out of compliance, and 14 additional passenger flights after the carrier had been alerted of the records discrepancy.

Representatives with Hawaiian Airlines tell Maui Now that they do not comment on pending litigation, and stated, “Hawaiian’s first commitment is always to safety.” Airline representatives also confirmed that they requested an informal conference with the FAA to discuss the matter.

Under the Airworthiness Directive, airlines are required to have initial and repetitive inspections of components “to detect damage and wear, and corrective actions if necessary.”

The FAA did not specify what routes were assigned to the particular craft in question.

According to information posted on the company website, Hawaiian Airlines operates wide-body, twin-aisle Boeing 767-300 aircraft between Honolulu and Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Seattle, Phoenix in the US; Fukuoka and Sendai, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Brisbane, Australia; Papeete, Tahiti; and Pago Pago, American Samoa.

The airline was also operating B767 routes with service between Kahului, Maui and San Jose, Oakland and Seattle, according to information contained in a non-related November 2013 press release.