3/19/2010
NEWS BRIEFS
Report: FAA Faulted for Southwest Airlines Rivet Debacle

A government watchdog faulted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for allowing Southwest Airlines to “fly jets that had not undergone mandatory maintenance work, violating stipulated safety rules,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Office of Special Counsel said Southwest failed to complete certain required maintenance involving rivets around the window frames of 55 of its Boeing 737 aircraft.

Southwest voluntarily disclosed the information to a senior FAA inspector who was also a supervisor in the local office charged with overseeing the airline, according to the Journal.

But the inspector reportedly failed to determine why the company had never completed the repair work, nor did he ensure that the necessary maintenance work was completed.

Southwest agreed to pay a $7.5 million fine last year after similar violations involving safety inspections conducted in 2007.

A Southwest spokesperson told the paper that the airline officials “are confident that we have identified and remedied the issues.”
However, the Office of Special Counsel concluded “a second investigation has shown that some FAA managers continue their willingness to look the other way,” the paper reported, quoting Associate Special Counsel William Reukauf. ©2010 GlobalFastenerNews.com