On June 16, it has been revealed that American Airlines’ regional operator, Piedmont Airlines, had been fined by the US OSHA.
This article will cover the details surrounding the fine that Piedmont Airlines has incurred.
Piedmont Airlines Fined by US OSHA
Back in December 2022, one of Piedmont Airlines’ Embraer E175 aircraft operating for American Airlines’ Envoy Air was operating flight AA 3408 between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) carrying a total of 59 passengers with four crew members.
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The aircraft in question was registered as N264NN, at the time of the incident the aircraft was just over four years old, after being delivered back in November 2018 and seats a total of up to 76 passengers.
During the flight, it was noted by the NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board, that the aircraft had an inoperative APU (Auxilliary Power Unit) and as such after landing in Montgomery, the aircraft required ground power.
During the connection of the ground power to the aircraft after landing, sadly a ground handler was sucked into the left-hand number one engine sadly losing their life.
Following this incident, Piedmont Airlines has since been fined by the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) a total of $15,625, which is the maximum fine that can be given for this serious safety violation.
The union, Communications Workers of America (CWA) noted statements from OSHA, saying that they caused a serious safety breach, “a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees that were exposed to ingestion and jet blast hazards”.
“OSHA also found that the lack of effective training, clear and unambiguous communication on the ramp, and clear instructions from supervisors as to when it is safe to approach an aircraft were deficiencies that contributed to the employee’s death.”
