An American Airlines mechanic was arrested on Thursday and charged with attempting to sabotage an airplane before it was scheduled to take off carrying 150 passengers in July, the AP reported.
Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani glued foam to a part of the plane’s air data module (ADM) to prevent it from working properly, according to a federal court filing.
Alani admitted to sabotaging the plane and said he did it so he could work overtime to fix it, according to a federal investigator.
Alani also referenced a contract dispute that had cost him money. “Alani stated that his intention was not to cause harm to the aircraft or its passengers,” the investigator stated in the complaint.
When the Boeing 737-800 took off, an error in the ADM system caused the takeoff to be aborted. No passengers were hurt in the incident.
Intense Negotiations
Relations between the 12,000-employee mechanics’ union and American Airlines have become severely strained in recent months, with the airline saying it will engage in a “bloody” battle with the union and legal fights occurring in Texas where the airline is headquartered.
Security footage showed Alani accessing the plane’s ADM system for about 7 minutes on the day the sabotage was discovered. Other AA mechanics were also interviewed to help identify Alani.
Authorities also said that a pitot tube, used to determine airspeed, was loose on the plane. Ice buildup on a pitot tube has been a cause of at least one other plane crash.
Day in Court
Alani, 60, has worked for American Airlines since 1988. He lives in Tracy, California.
Alani will have a court hearing on Friday about the charges. It was not clear whether he had an attorney.
American Airlines released a statement about the incident and said: “At American we have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members and we are taking this matter very seriously. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was taken out of service, maintenance was performed and after inspection to ensure it was safe the aircraft was returned to service. American immediately notified federal law enforcement who took over the investigation with our full cooperation.”
On Wednesday, the TWU-IAM Association announced that it would resume mediation talks with the airline. The union represents 30,000 of the airline’s employees, including mechanics.
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