More trouble in the skies over airplane maintenance

For airline passengers stuck because of hundreds of flights canceled over immediate safety inspections, it may seem like a problem that came straight out of the blue.

It most certainly is not.

The recent airline mini-crisis is linked to a potential safety problem we highlighted a year ago, in a March 2007 investigation. That report detailed how the Federal Aviation Administration has changed the way it oversees aircraft maintenance and inspections, leaving it more to air carriers themselves than to FAA inspectors on the ground. 

Recent moves to re-inspect hundreds of planes at Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Delta have caused hundreds of flights to be canceled in recent days as the planes go through re-inspection for things such as fatigue cracks and wiring. And the moves have put the issue of airline safety front and center once more.

On March 6, the FAA announced a record $10.2 million penalty against Southwest for "operating 46 airplanes without performing mandatory inspections for fuselage fatigue cracking." Subsequent investigations found that six of the 46 airplanes had fatigue cracks, a potentially catastrophic circumstance.

Less than a week later, the FAA announced a review of Southwest's maintenance practices, even as the carrier was grounding 41 aircraft to verify they had "correctly followed inspection guidance." The Dallas-based airline issued a statement noting it had "discovered an ambiguity related to required testing." American Airlines and Delta this past week together inspected more than 400 airplanes and canceled over 700 flights.

In the wake of media attention, it became clear the issue of maintenance oversight was as much about the FAA itself as any one airline. On March 18, acting Federal Aviation Administrator Robert Sturgell ordered aviation inspectors to "reconfirm" that airlines operating within the U.S. have complied with all airworthiness directives.

All of these recent moves come against the background of changes over the past several years in how airplanes are inspected. Consumer Reports' March 2007 article found that in addition to leaving much of the inspections to the airlines themselves, the carriers were outsourcing more of their major maintenance work. In fact, Southwest had 68 percent of such work outsourced, while Delta outsourced 48 percent and American 46 percent.

While there has not been a major airline accident in recent years, there have been deadly accidents involving smaller commercial aircraft. The article also detailed a number of other maintenance-related mishaps that raised safety concerns.

Members of Congress have expressed concern about the FAA's inspection regimen. Following the Southwest review announcement, Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, said, "The recent revelations at Southwest Airlines show why it is essential for FAA inspectors to be going to facilities and making sure airlines are in compliance with air safety directives."   

In an e-mail sent to "safety colleagues" at U.S. airlines announcing the airline audits, Nicholas Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety, defended the FAA's inspection system, called Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS), an electronic surveillance system. The CR article raised concerns by several FAA inspectors over ATOS; subsequently CR published a letter from Sabatini stating the article showed "a remarkable misunderstanding of the current state of aviation safety."

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold hearings Thursday, April 3. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the committee, complained about what he said was FAA "complicity" in the Southwest situation.

Oberstar stated: "What our investigation found is the most serious lapse in safety I have been aware of at the FAA in the past 23 years. Thank goodness we are talking about it BEFORE an accident, which is as it should be, NOT AFTER a tragedy ... I fear that complacency may have set in at the highest levels of FAA management, reflecting a pendulum swing away from vigorous enforcement of compliance, toward a carrier-favorable, cozy relationship. Meanwhile, more and more airline maintenance is being outsourced with less FAA and airline involvement, much of it at foreign repair stations."
-- William J. McGee

Comments

[Max]

As usual, this administration is playing with fire and we'll get burnt. Why would our government expect any corporation to police themselves? Dubya and Cheney don't use commercial airlines...just us hapless citizens.