At least 20 flights canceled
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Alaska Airlines has informed the Federal Aviation Administration that it is grounding up to 18 of its 34 MD-80 jets after it discovered that some of the tools used to test the jackscrews on the planes may have given faulty readings.
At least 20 flights were canceled Thursday evening, and other cancellations were expected Friday and throughout the weekend, said Bill Ayer, the airline's president and chief operating officer.
The MD-80s being pulled for inspection will be checked mainly in Seattle, where most of the aircraft will be routed. Other checks will occur in Oakland, Phoenix, and San Francisco.
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The inspections began Thursday night, Ayer said, and he hoped that inspections of six to eight aircraft would be completed by Friday morning. Each inspection takes two to four hours, Ayer said.
Ayer said the inspections have forced flight cancellations Thursday night and service will be disrupted Friday and possibly into the weekend.
"There's going to be impact tonight, tomorrow and hopefully less as tomorrow goes on," Ayer said in a press conference Thursday night. Ayer added that the airline was working hard to "minimize the cancellations."
The FAA heightened scrutiny of Alaska Airlines following the January 31 crash of Flight 261 off the coast of California. All 88 people on board died.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash, but have focused on a jackscrew and gimble nut assembly that apparently failed and contributed to the crash. The jackscrew helps control the horizontal stabilizer, which controls the plane's up-and-down movement.
Paul Turk, a spokesman for the FAA, said all airlines with MD-80s in their fleets will be asked to check the tools used to check the jackscrews in light of Alaska Airlines' decision. Turk said DC-9 planes are also affected.
The problem came to light when Alaska Airlines tested its jackscrews, and found that the tools used to measure their tolerance may not have given accurate readings. Machines made by Boeing to test jackscrews are not in question. However, so-called "second tier" tools, which are copies of the Boeing-made machines, have been found to give faulty readings in some circumstances.
When Alaska Airlines tested its jackscrews in the aftermath of the crash, the parts were found to be within accepted tolerance levels. It is not known whether a Boeing machine or a "second tier" machine was used to perform those tests.
The FAA statement said the National Transportation Safety Board is assisting with the checks.
The grounding of the Alaska Airlines planes, as well as the alert issued to all airlines, could greatly affect air traffic and travel in the United States.
Turk said international carriers were also notified of the problem.
Ayer referred passengers to the airline's website -- -- for information about flight cancellations.
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