DALLAS (AP) - Federal regulators have hit American Airlines with $300,000 in new penalties over maintenance issues.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday American's mechanics put off maintenance last year on a part designed to ensure that pilots get accurate readings on speed.
The FAA said mechanics noted problems with a dashboard light on a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, then discovered the next day that a part called a pitot probe heater wasn't working.
Pitot probes measure an aircraft's speed and are equipped with heaters to prevent freezing up during flight. The FAA says the plane should have been limited to daytime flying in good weather, but American used it on five flights in violation of federal rules.
The airline has 30 days to appeal.
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