A mechanic who had helped change a landing light on the plane’s front landing gear apparently failed to reconnect the door to its retraction mechanism, Alaska said.

A JAL MD-90-30 (JA8004) landed at Kagoshima (KOJ) with the nr.1 engine thrust reverser locked. Flight 3913 from Osaka-Itami (ITM) landed without problems, but the company was given a verbal warning by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It appeared that a mechanic forgot to remove the safety pin locking the engine thrust reverser during maintenance operations. JAL had a similar maintenance problem last July. (Kyodo, NHK)

The UK AAIB released the report of their investigation into the July 2004 accident involving a BN-2A Trislander at Guernsey. During take-off a de-icer boot from the left propeller separated, entering the cabin. The de-icer boot separated due to peel stresses generated by forces on the propeller. The peel stresses arose because of physical or contamination damage to the adhesive bond which occurred because the required filler material was not used at the root of the de-icer boot. (AAIB) Report No: 1/2006

The crew of an Israel Boeing 767 that were involved in a runway incursion in a rainstorm at New York-JFK International Airport last July apparently did not know that one of the taxiways was closed for reconstruction, according to an Israeli investigator. The crew had to turn left at the second taxiway, Bravo, but ended up on the active runway 22R because the lights of taxiway Alpha were out because of work in progress. A DC-8 cargo plane had to climb away fast and missed the 767 by 100 feet. (The New York Times)

Relatives of three victims in the December 19 downing of a seaplane have secured representation to go after Flying Boat Incorporated -- the operators of Chalk's Ocean Airways -- as well as anyone who might have had a hand in maintaining the aircraft.

The group will not settle for a class-action lawsuit against the airline's assets (such as they are) and insurance policies, according to attorney Manuel Von Ribbeck of The Nolan Law Group. They will also go after the insurance policies of everyone connected to the airline’s operations, as well as maintenance workers and any components manufacturers that potentially played a part in the operation of the aircraft.

That lawsuit claimed lax maintenance procedures and failure to properly inspect the aircraft for corrosion led to the separation of the Grumman G-73T's right wing shortly after takeoff from Miami Beach last month. NTSB investigators have found evidence of cracks in the main wing spar of the aircraft.

As their contracted Sea-Tac ground crews receive additional training on the importance of telling someone when you accidentally hit an aircraft with your luggage cart, the FAA has proposed a half-million dollar fine against Alaska Airlines for flying an aircraft for two weeks without required emergency lighting -- and then going an additional two weeks with the wrong parts.

The FAA alleged Goodrich Aviation Technical Services -- one of three companies contracted to perform heavy maintenance work for the carrier after Alaska shut down its own facility in September 2004 -- signed off on the aircraft in December 2004 after performing "C" and "D" checks on the airliner, without verifying the lighting was operational.

Alaska discovered the problem in early February -- after the aircraft had undergone about 40 routine checks, the FAA noted -- and while the airline replaced the needed components... it used the wrong parts.

While "safety was not adversely affected" for the two weeks the 737-200 (one of seven "combi" models Alaska has in its fleet, photo above) was operating with the incorrect parts, said the FAA, the agency chided the airline, and Goodrich, for their "repeated failures to follow Alaska's [maintenance program], both during the original maintenance and in the 40 inspections that failed to detect the unairworthy condition."

News of the fine comes as Alaska fights the perception the company's reliance on outside contractors has perhaps compromised safety -- and two problems in recent weeks involving ramp mishaps at Seattle-Tacoma International haven't helped bolster confidence.

If the latest fine holds, it would be second-largest levied against the airline since 1998. In 2000, the FAA fined the airline nearly $1 million based on a safety audit conducted after the downing of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 in January of that year. Most recently, the airline was fined $211,000 for operating an MD-80 on 47 flights with landing gear damage in 2001.