Denies Need To 'Clean House' In Inspectors Office

Before launching into prepared remarks Monday at the 33rd Annual FAA Forecast Conference, Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell took a moment to defend his agency's safety record, in light of last week's reports of possible safety oversights by agency inspectors.

As ANN reported last week, two former FAA inspectors came forward with charges Southwest Airlines deliberately continued flying 46 of its older 737 Classic models without required fuselage fatigue and rudder system inspections. The airline -- which touts an enviable safety record in 37 years of operations -- later found that six of those aircraft had fatigue cracks.

The FAA subsequently proposed a staggering $10.2 million fine against Southwest, saying the carrier took "deliberate" measures to circumvent the mandatory inspection interval process. Southwest counters it alerted the agency to the problem on its own... and furthermore, the airline says representatives with the FAA and planemaker Boeing signed off on its plan to rotate its aircraft fleet through the inspection process.

That revelation has led some to suggest the agency is attempting a serious CYA maneuver in calling for the record fine, while overlooking a potentially dangerous level of familiarity between FAA inspectors and the companies they oversee.

"But before we get going, I’d like to comment on some things that have been said following a high profile event involving one of our major commercial air carriers about the need for "cleaning house,” that the FAA’s "too cozy” with the airlines," Sturgell said Monday. "I reject that suggestion. "It is because of the system we have put in place today — where everyone is dedicated to safety and aviation professionals can raise safety concerns without fear — that flying is far, far safer than ever. The numbers prove it."

Sturgell continued with a defensive posture. "The traveling public is counting on us to get it right today, and to keep getting it right tomorrow," he said. "Today’s complex aviation system demands a modern regulatory approach that takes into account both enforcement and cooperative elements. Later this week, we’ll be meeting with all of our senior safety managers — looking at what went wrong, where we as an agency need to improve, discussing best practices, and finding ways to continually improve our system of safety oversight."

"...A word about our inspectors," Sturgell continued. "They are dedicated safety professionals, and they’re tough as nails. As someone who’s been on the receiving end of more than a few check rides, I consider myself an expert on the matter. One thing we all knew was that when it came to the inspectors, there was no wiggle room. You either hit the numbers or you didn’t fly.

"It’s one thing to ask tough questions and demand tougher answers. It’s vital, for example, that we constantly examine and reexamine our safety procedures, protocols, and processes. And develop lessons learned from events like this. But, it is entirely another to call into question the very integrity of our entire aviation system.

"Safety is serious business, and we’re serious about our business. And it’s because we take things seriously that the forecast looks the way it does overall. So let’s get on with why we’re here."

The unedited transcript of the remainder Sturgell's speech is available here.

FMI: www.faa.gov