CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS CONCERN ABOUT EXCESS MECH'S DUTY TIME.

Narrative

OUR TRANSITION PERIOD FROM OCT 1996 TO NOV 1996 WAS ESPECIALLY HARD. WE ARE EXTREMELY SHORT ON FO'S; FLT ATTENDANTS; AND MECHS. FOR SOME REASON OUR WHOLE FLEET OF ATR ACFT DECIDED TO ACT UP MECHANICALLY AND THIS ADDED A LOT OF DELAYS AND FRUSTRATION. WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR A RIDE TO OUR CARS; I WAS CHATTING WITH SOME OF THE MECHS AND LEARNED MANY OF THEM HAD BEEN THERE SINCE XA00 THAT MORNING. THIS WAS AT XY00; 20 HRS LATER. I WAS NOT SHOCKED BY THIS PRACTICE BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD THE MAINT GUYS TALK ABOUT THE LONG HRS THAT THEY PUT IN. WHEN I SHOWED TO CONTINUE MY TRIP AT XB00 THE NEXT DAY; I WENT INTO MAINT WITH ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT TO MAKE COPIES OF SOMETHING. I SAW SOME OF THE SAME MECHS I WAS TALKING TO THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THEY WERE STILL ON THE CLOCK! THESE PARTICULAR MECHS WERE GOING OUT TO WORK ON AN ACFT WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. MECHS WHO HAVE BEEN ON DUTY IN EXCESS OF 24 HRS SHOULD NOT BE WORKING ON OUR ACFT OR ANYONE ELSE'S FOR THAT MATTER. THIS MADE ME FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT FLYING BECAUSE I WONDER IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG HOW WELL WILL THE FLC HANDLE THE SIT WHEN THEY ARE ALMOST OUT OF DUTY TIME. BECAUSE OF THE TRANSITION THIS IS THE CASE WITH A LOT OF THE CREWS. I FEEL THAT DUTY REGULATIONS FOR MECHS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS DUTY REGULATIONS FOR FLCS. THE MECHS ARE INSPIRED TO WORK THESE LONG HOURS BY THE PAY OF TIME AND A HALF; SO THEY ARE OFTEN MORE THAN WILLING TO DO IT. SINCE OUR AIRLINE HAS JUST CLOSED 2 OF ITS 3 MAINT BASES; WE ARE CRITICALLY SHORT STAFFED. THIS TYPE OF SIT IS GOING ON ALL THE TIME; NOT JUST WHEN THE AIRPLANES ARE HAVING A LOT OF MECHANICALS. I CAN SEE HOW IT REFLECTS IN THE WORK THEY DO IN THE CABIN BUT WHAT SCARES ME IS HOW IT REFLECTS ON THE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T SEE.