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See how they run....

See how they run....

See how they run....

(OP)
MICE FOUND ON AMERICAN AIRLINES AIRCRAFT

Provided By: Gannett News Service , Last Modified: 7/12/2006 5:03:23 PM

ST. LOUIS (GNS) -- It's the busy summer travel season and a lot of families have vacations planned. But before you fly, you should see the hidden camera video obtained by NewsChannel 5's I-Team.

The video was shot by a long-time employee at the overhaul base at Kansas City International Airport. The whistleblower did not want to be identified but did want to expose a hidden secret onboard a Boeing 767 passenger plane.

The whistle blower said, "We had to take the chairs off and that's when everybody saw mice running around on the floor and one ran down one of the mechanic's arm."

The plane arrived in Missouri April 30.

The whistleblower explained, "There's feces all along this edge right here. It's throughout the whole aircraft."

The whistle blower said workers found nests in air vents and dead mice in emergency oxygen masks. When mice would get hungry, they ate insulation and chewed through wires.

"If they shorted themselves and caused a fire, it would go through that cabin so fast, we could have lost some lives," said the whistleblower.

Several calls were made to the Federal Aviation Administration hotline asking for an investigation. Using the Freedom of Information Act, the I-Team obtained the FAA brief.

On May 5, 2006, a caller reported a mouse infestation. The complaint went on to say that mice chewed through two wires. The caller alleged American Airlines was doing nothing about eradicating the mice.

On May 10, 2006, a caller reported that mice were building nests near the oxygen generators.

The whistleblower said, "Anywhere from 900 to 1,000 (mice) could be on this aircraft."

That's the estimate exterminators gave workers but American Airlines disputes that number. In a written statement the airline admits to finding only 17 live mice.

Mel Burkhardt has been an aviation expert for more than 30 years. He's a retired pilot and current crash scene investigator.

He said mice on airplanes "involves a very severe hazard to the safety of the airplane and the people on board."

We showed Burkardt the hidden camera video.

"The potential for the catastrophic mishap is there and if you have one mouse, you have two. (If) you have two, you have a family," he said.

Burkardt said the plane should have been grounded but according to maintenance logs obtained by the I-Team that didn't happen.

On April 20th the plane was at JFK where mechanics noted a "mouse observed in the galley." The log goes on to indicate that maintenance was deferred.

The decision was made to put the plane back into service, and fly passengers across the country to Los Angeles International Airport.

That is when the whistleblower says there was another incident on April 23.

The plane went back in the air over and over until it was flown into Kansas City eleven days later.

"When you fly 100 hours and (do) not take care of the problem, you are putting the people traveling in danger," said the whistleblower.

The Federal Aviation Administration says American Airlines did nothing wrong because airlines do not have to report rodent infestations unless the rodents affect the mechanics.

American Airlines would not let us see the repairs inside the plane and would not talk to us on camera. But in a statement the company said N320 was always safe to fly and no lives were put at risk.

Burkhardt doubts this is the only plane with a rodent problem. But he also said exposing the issue is good for the airlines and for passengers.

"I guarantee now that it is known, they'll address it and within a very short period of time I think this issue will disappear," he said.

According to the FAA all insulation and oxygen masks on N320 have been replaced. The cargo bins have been removed and replaced and the wiring has been inspected.

Burkhardt said if you are flying on American Airlines N320 feel good about it. He said it's probably now the cleanest, safest airplane in the fleet.

American Airlines said N320 was an anomaly and while an occasional mouse has boarded, infestations simply don't happen.

Wes C.
------------------------------
When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions...

RE: See how they run....

What would 1000 mice eat? That's a lot of cheese.

"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams

RE: See how they run....

Mice are not real picky eaters.  

Plastic wire insulation, or any thermoplastic item, will do just fine.

Never mind what they spill in the galley, and what passengers discard on the deck.  In times of yore, the cleaners would get that.  You may have noticed that airplane interiors don't get cleaned as regularly or as thoroughly as in days of yore.

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: See how they run....

Another disgruntled employee making irrational claims to inflame the public's "fear" of flying. 1,000 mice....give me a break. The media loves to whip people up into a frenzy over these types of "stories". Disgusting!

Regards

RE: See how they run....

In th' days of yore whut?  In all yore borned days?  In th' days of yore yewth?  Jest whut was y'all try'n tuh say?

clown

from hillbilly debodine

RE: See how they run....

I have to ask.

Did this never occur to anyone as a possibility before?

Does anybody think this is the first time it has ever happened?

Duh?

My favourite was the loose pit bull in the bag pit that chewed through the raceway.  That was safety of flight.

The little crawling things bug me more!  You should see what is in some of the planes on that do tropical duty.

RE: See how they run....

wes616 (Aerospace)
I do not understand the problem. An airliner is one of the easiest items to fumigate, the only real problem is finding the bodies before they start to stink.
  I would rather have small " critters" than misidentified cargo, like oxygen generators labeled "aircraft spares", or sulphuric acid masquerading as "electrical goods".
B.E.

RE: See how they run....

(OP)
When this was sent to me, it had never really occured to me that I should conider rodents in my design. I always believed that aircraft were more 'sterile' than that.

Wes C.
------------------------------
When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions...

RE: See how they run....

Any place you have humans you have rodents. So what's the real story? That there were more than anyone thought possible?

RE: See how they run....

wes616 (Aerospace)
If you are designing aircraft that sit unused for long periods of time , you should also consider snakes.
  If rodents get into an aircraft, snakes will follow.

 It has not been an uncommon occurrence, for a general aviation pilot to find a rattlesnake, or a copperhead in the cockpit with him/her, or in the wheel wells. Hopefully you find them during the preflight inspection, before you take off. If you find them after take off it gets dramatic.
B.E.

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