Whistleblowers Say Agency Let Planes Fly W/O Inspections

A congressional investigation into FAA oversight of maintenance at Southwest Airlines has been triggered by whistleblowers who allege -- paraphrasing here -- that Southwest has been a little too free to move about the country.

House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat, says he received documentation showing the FAA inspector responsible for Southwest allowed the airline to operate aircraft in revenue service without properly inspecting the aircraft for fuselage cracks. The charge was made in a letter from the Transportation Department inspector general's office to the FAA.

The Associated Press reports The House Transportation Committee has scheduled an oversight hearing March 12, that will include a review of findings of an investigation by congressional staffers and the Transportation Department of the FAA's oversight of aircraft maintenance.

Representatives from the FAA and Southwest did not return calls from the AP for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The inspector general's office said the audit will begin this week, and investigate how thoroughly the FAA investigated the whistleblower allegations, and what measures were taken by the agency to correct "any inappropriate inspector actions."

The review could also result in a recommendation for the FAA to strengthen its oversight process, according to the letter from DOT's inspector general.

On Monday, the Teamsters union seized on the news to call for a moratorium on all aircraft maintenance done overseas, claiming foreign locations are not properly regulated. The union has support in its position from a business travel trade group and some members of congress.

FMI: http://transportation.house.gov/, www.faa.gov, www.southwest.com