WP,pg1: Airline Inspections Called Inadequate

[DeepModem Mom]

Airline Inspections Called Inadequate
FAA Hasn't Kept Up With Risks Posed By Industry Cost-Cutting, Report Says

By Sara Kehaulani Goo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 9, 2005; Page A01


The Federal Aviation Administration is failing to effectively oversee new safety risks posed by sharp cost-cutting in the airline industry and rapid growth of budget carriers, a government report concludes.

U.S. airlines -- many of which continue to struggle financially -- are looking for new ways to cut costs by outsourcing maintenance and reducing the time that planes are parked at gates. At the same time, new low-fare carriers are expanding to dozens of cities. Both trends have created safety concerns that the FAA has not adequately addressed in its inspection program, according to a Transportation Department inspector general report issued yesterday.

"Pilots and flight crews are flying more hours, and aircraft are being utilized for more hours a day," the report says. "While there has not been a fatal accident involving a large passenger air carrier in over three years, there have been precursors to potentially more serious incidents."

U.S. carriers, which ultimately are responsible for safety, said they have not lowered their standards despite losing billions of dollars a year. "We have cut nothing that would compromise safety, nor will we," US Airways spokesman David A. Castelveter said. Other airlines made similar comments....

***

The report says the FAA did not complete 26 percent of its planned inspections on five major carriers in fiscal 2003. It also criticizes the agency for stepping up oversight of only three carriers in or near bankruptcy protection when at least five network carriers are losing record amounts of money....The report found that up to 90 percent of airline maintenance is conducted overnight, yet FAA inspectors spent only 1 to 7 percent of their work time conducting night inspections....The inspector general found instances in which carriers with short turnaround times at gates did not follow proper procedures and pilots made errors in calculating the weight and balance of planes. The reduced turnaround time can result in flight crews working longer as airlines try to schedule planes to make more trips in a day. That can pose safety risks if, for example, there is not enough time for brakes to cool between flights....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/08/AR2005060802324.html

[DeepModem Mom]

1. Looking at LBN today, and thinking about "personal responsibility"...

trumpeted by the Bushies -- they take very little, even with regard to public safety. They scarcely govern -- they just pursue their agenda, and make money for their supporter/enablers.

This is top story on WP site today --

[mbperrin]

2. Haven't flown since Reagan fired the air traffic controllers,

not likely to ever again. Not like you can just "pull over" when there's a problem at 30,000 feet!