Safety plunge

Lax airlines get pass on violations – Chuck

THE DEATH of a Southwest Airlines passenger who was hit by debris from a blown engine last week highlights a troublesome steep drop in federal enforcement actions over aviation maintenance, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday.

The number of Federal Aviation Administration fines issued to airlines for lax mechanical upkeep has dropped by 73% over the past five years. There were 28 levies issued in 2017, down from 105 in 2014.

“Since at least 2014, it would appear the FAA has been in a nosedive on safety, and that simply cannot fly,” Schumer said in a statement.

The drop is directly tied to the FAA’s decision to launch a new “compliance philosophy” in 2015. Under that initiative, the FAA quietly began to encourage airlines to fix problems voluntarily without a fine or formal written sanction.

Last Sunday, a “60 Minutes” report highlighted more than 100 “serious mechanical incidents” on Allegiant Air. The Las Vegasbased budget carrier has been forced to make multiple emergency landings and abort takeoffs since at least the summer of 2015.

But the FAA has not fined the airline in years, records show.

Last Tuesday, Jennifer Riordan was killed when an engine exploded midair on a Southwest Airlines plane she was on. The body of the 43-year-old mother of two was partially sucked out of the shattered window during the flight from LaGuardia Airport to Dallas. The plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

Officials at Transportation the Safety National Board believe one of the engine fan blades snapped.

Several weeks before her death, the union representing Southwest Airlines mechanics cautioned they were concerned over an “ostrichlike head-in-the-sand approach” regarding problems with the company’s aircraft maintenance program.

On Sunday, an FAA spokeswoman said the agency is always trying to find better ways to make flying safer.

“We are never content with the status quo, and the FAA is continually working to enhance safety for the flying public,” the spokeswoman said.

“The FAA’s comprehensive oversight system is designed to identify potential risks before they become serious problems, and ensure that corrective action is taken.”

But there is no plan to change what is essentially an honor system currently in place.