Wed, Oct 31, 2007
Says Report Validates Safety Concerns During NWA Mechanics
Strike
The Professional
Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, the union that
represents more than 11,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
employees including aviation safety inspectors, are applauding a
recent Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General (IG)
report, "Actions Taken to Address Allegations of Unsafe Maintenance
Practices at Northwest Airlines (Report Number AV-2007-080)."
"PASS is encouraged that the IG report addresses the critical
need for the FAA to implement better internal review procedures to
deal with inspector safety concerns," said PASS National President
Tom Brantley.
The union tells ANN the IG report validates safety issues
uncovered by an FAA inspector represented by PASS during the August
2005 aircraft mechanics strike at Northwest Airlines. Specifically,
the IG concluded that that FAA needs improved internal procedures
to ensure that "comprehensive, independent investigations of safety
allegations and recommendations are consistently performed." In the
Northwest case, the IG findings have exonerated the inspector who
sounded the alarm; however, many inspectors around the country
continue to be discouraged from bringing forth serious safety
concerns.
"We commend the IG for calling attention to and authenticating
our inspector’s concerns," said Brantley. "FAA inspectors
should not be quieted when it comes to bringing forward safety
issues involving airlines. It is their job to ensure that airlines
are operating safely. The FAA must establish a process for formally
addressing every safety concern, no matter how large or small."
PASS states FAA inspectors take their oversight role to ensure
public safety very seriously... but the union asserts FAA
management is often more interested in airline operations, failing
to give these safety issues the attention they deserve. In the
Northwest situation, PASS claims, the IG stated the FAA was more
concerned with discounting the inspector’s complaint rather
than investigating the safety concerns.
"It happened in this case and it’s happening all around
the country," said Brantley. "Giving airlines a free pass on
serious maintenance concerns brought up in the inspection process
is despicable. The flying public deserves better from the agency
charged with guaranteeing their safety. It is time for the FAA to
start living up to that promise."
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