Now a pilot, he was in high school when he saw 191's smoke plume

As a kid, the only thing Dennis Tajer ever wanted to do when he grew up was be a pilot.

When American Airlines Flight 191 crashed just outside of O'Hare International Airport 30 years ago, it didn't deter him.

"I recall hearing the news and seeing the plume of smoke," said the Arlington Heights resident, a high school sophomore when the DC-10 went down.

Now a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association and an American Airlines pilot, Tajer remembers his overwhelming question was - why?

The disaster occurred during takeoff when the left engine, pylon assembly (the structure that mounts the engine to the wing) and 3 feet of the wing separated from the DC-10, the National Transportation Safety Board found. The pilots could not see the damage as the plane kept climbing - and because the initial loss initiated a domino effect on the plane's equipment and systems - they received no electronic warning.

As a result, the pilots had no time to correct the situation in the seconds they had before the DC-10 rolled to the left and crashed.

"The pilots did all they were supposed to do, given what they knew of the problem," Tajer said. "The problem was they did not know the full extent of what happened. An engine can come off and you can still be able to land."

After a painstaking probe, NTSB investigators issued a lengthy report on what caused the catastrophe. Among their conclusions was that damage occurred when mechanics performed maintenance on the aircraft some weeks earlier.

Contrary to manufacturer McDonnell Douglas' instructions, the airline had streamlined procedures to allow for simultaneous removal of the engine and pylon assembly during maintenance.

Ironically, the FAA had authorized American Airlines to conduct and approve its own maintenance procedures. The deviation from McDonnell Douglas' instructions regarding an engine change (which could take up to 24 hours) saved the airline time and money, authorities said.

The tragedy ultimately led to reforms and changes in how an airplane's airworthiness is determined.

Instead of taking a forensic look at what happened in the aftermath of a crash, Federal Aviation Administration officials said they now focus on proactive ways to prevent accidents. "We look at in-flight data to spot any nationwide trends," FAA spokeswoman Alison DuQuette said. "The industry and the government share a tremendous amount of data - that's why there's so few accidents these days."

Brad Brugger of the Transport Workers Union of American, which represents airline mechanics, says the culture of the industry has changed substantially in the last 30 years.

Before, if airline personnel were aware of safety issues, it usually was kept within the company, he noted. But in the late 1990s, the FAA and the airlines developed a voluntary reporting system.

"It's been very, very successful in reducing accident rates to almost zero," said Brugger, TWU aviation safety action program coordinator.

"Now the culture is, 'If I see a problem, I put a report in.' There's so many things we learn every day."

Tajer, however, said American Airlines is currently cutting back on expenses, and he's concerned about the impact.

"Airline management cost-cutting decisions can have some very serious consequences," he said. "Vigilance has to remain at all times. The world of aviation is so unforgiving ... when small corners are cut it can develop into very serious situations."

For the record, American Airlines said assertions by the pilots' union are wrong and that it's committed to safety The airline reported that its spending on maintenance for repairs and materials has increased every year, growing by $264 million from 2003 to 2008. In 2008, the airline expended $978 million for maintenance.

American also pointed out it has added jobs in maintenance operations, expedited shipments of spare parts and approved $100 million in 2007 for new technologies and to improve its maintenance facilities.

Tajer called the anniversary of Flight 191 a "melancholy event" but "a healing event. While we need to look forward, we need to make sure we don't forget the past."

$CLASS=breakhead$This long weekend

• Don't forget state and local police are beefing up patrols to check on seat-belt compliance during the holiday.

• The Illinois State Tollway and Illinois Department of Transportation are easing up on construction through Memorial Day.

• The Chicago Department of Aviation projects 1.3 million people will pass through O'Hare and Midway international airports as part of Memorial Day travel. The busiest day was Friday with more than 205,000 passengers at O'Hare and 57,000 at Midway.