American Airlines says it has fixed all the damage a rampant mouse infestation caused to one of its B-767’s (N320AA) but not soon enough for maintenance workers who discovered the rodents. According to documents obtained by KARE TV in Minneapolis, the first mouse sighting was in early May and the plane was only cleaned, repaired and returned to service last week. According to the TV station, maintenance workers in Los Angeles shot video of the damage (which included dead mice in emergency oxygen masks and chewed insulation) and called the FAA’s safety hotline. At the time, an exterminator apparently told the whistleblowers that there could be up to 1,000 mice on the plane but the airline said only 17 live mice were found. The airline also insists that the plane was safe to fly with all the extra passengers on board (which it did on numerous occasions) and that mouse infestations are rare in airliners.
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