Senator Claims Discrepancies Going Unreported

Two weeks into a sweeping mechanics strike at Northwest Airlines, it appears on the outside the carrier's operations have remained mostly unscathed. The planes are still flying, after all, seemingly affected far more by the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on schedules and fuel prices than by the 4400 striking members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association... right?

Senator Mark Dayton (D-MN) says that isn't the case. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, the senator has alleged nothing short of a cover up of Northwest's maintenance and safety issues by the Federal Aviation Administration.

After being contacted with a list of concerns by a union representing FAA inspectors, the Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS,) Dayton submitted a letter to the agency and to the Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation. 

Among the charges by PASS are allegations that the FAA pulled one of its inspectors from Northwest's operations after the airline complained, and that as many as 470 inspectors reports have not been entered into the FAA's database since the Northwest strike began August 19.

Most disturbing, however, is the charge that somewhere between 58% to 90% of those unsubmitted reports cited defects concerning the safety of the airline's practices and equipment, compared to a typical defect rate of 3-5 percent at Northwest before the strike began.

According to PASS, a reported defect rate of 9% would be enough to flag an internal alert at the FAA.

Reaction from the DOT and the FAA has been swift. DOT Spokesman David Barnes said the agency has begun an inquiry to determine if a full-scale investigation is warranted, while the FAA said that the agency would act immediately to correct any issues discovered in such an inquiry.

The FAA maintains that Northwest's fleet of airplanes, the oldest among domestic carriers, is safe.

"With respect to our oversight of Northwest since the strike began, the intensity level remains," FAA Spokesman Greg Martin said. "We continue to watch them very, very closely. If we find something that's wrong, they have to fix it before they fly."

Northwest also issued a statement denying the charges, and reiterating its commitment to safety, immediately following the news of Dayton's letter.

If the allegations are proven true, it would likely give added credibility to AMFA's claims that Northwest's planes are less safe in the care of non-union mechanics.

FMI: www.nwa.com, www.amfanatl.org, www.passnational.org/, www.faa.gov