FAA PROPOSES FINES AGAINST AMERICAN EAGLE, DELTA

FAA PROPOSES FINES AGAINST AMERICAN EAGLE, DELTA    The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed to assess a $900,000 civil penalty against American Eagle Airlines for allegedly violating Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations, and a $100,000 civil penalty against Delta Air Lines for allegedly violating a FAA regulation regarding its anti-drug program.
   FAA alleges that on one occasion in 2000, American Eagle improperly offered an oxygen generator for air transport, and that the airline accepted the shipment and transported it as cargo aboard a passenger flight. Oxygen generators are forbidden as cargo on board passenger aircraft. FAA alleges that on seven other occasions in 2000, the airline improperly offered oxygen generators to Federal Express for air transport.
   'In each instance, the FAA said that American Eagle offered the hazardous materials for transport when they were not packaged, marked, classed, described, documented, or in condition for shipment as regulations require. FAA said that American Eagle also failed to ensure employees were trained to properly package and handle hazardous materials, and did not make available at all times the required emergency response information.
FAA also alleged that, in 1994, Delta failed to provide an employee access to his drug-testing records, as required by procedures for transportation workplace drug testing programs. An FAA inspection in 2000 showed that for five years, Delta failed to provide all records to an employee relating to his drug test.
Delta has 30 days from receipt of the FAA notice to submit a reply to the agency, the FAA said.
   American Eagle and Delta have 30 days from receipt of their civil penalty notices to respond to the allegations, the FAA said.