Airline Safety: A Whistleblower's Tale

[SEVEN]

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_06/b4070000689813.htm?campaign_id=yhoo

 

[luckytohaveajob]

SWA appears to be a low cost carrier concerning maintenance.


Worried that some of the aluminum skins on Southwest's (LUV) older Boeing 737s were prone to cracking, this inspector called for the planes to be rotated out of the fleet until they could all be repaired—a process that would have been time-consuming and costly. He was reassigned though later reinstated in his previous job.

A Southwest spokesperson says the airline "is unaware" of the concerns raised by this inspector and "has no knowledge of a probe by the House aviation subcommittee." The FAA declined to comment.

 

[Nindiri]

But Lund believes FAA management started to try to fire him. Supervisors started criticizing him for small errors.

heh heh heh

Kind of like when FAA Inspectors look for small errors to crucify pilots and mechanics with.

 

[328dude]

Same concerns were brought up after the Alaska crash by the FAA safety inspector there. Sadly, their lack of judgement cost lives.

 

[bubbers44]

He must have not had justification for causing this maintenance expense or they would have had to back him up on the work. Sometimes the FAA ego'
s run amuck. They are like a cop with some power and abuse it. Not saying he was wrong but who knows if he was right?

 

[BigMeat]

SWA is unsafe...thats why I fly Skybus!

 

[mdf]

SWA appears to be a low cost carrier concerning maintenance.


Worried that some of the aluminum skins on Southwest's (LUV) older Boeing 737s were prone to cracking, this inspector called for the planes to be rotated out of the fleet until they could all be repaired—a process that would have been time-consuming and costly. He was reassigned though later reinstated in his previous job.

A Southwest spokesperson says the airline "is unaware" of the concerns raised by this inspector and "has no knowledge of a probe by the House aviation subcommittee." The FAA declined to comment.

This is a 3 page story related to untrained scabs who took union jobs compromising safety at Northwest Airlines. Way to spin it, maybe Southwest will hire you next time around.

 

[Cardinal]

"Northwest's safety record during this period was unblemished,"

LOL. Translation: "We didn't crash" Does this guy want a cookie? During the CAL strike years aircraft departed off wrong runways, shed parts, intentionally jetblasted pedestrians, you name it. We may never learn of the screwy and horrifying things that the NW scabs did to the aircraft they were "fixing" but doubtless things were fubar. "Our safety record is unblemished" because they didn't happen to kill anybody.

 

[328dude]

Lucky's to busy being on leave for some bogus reason again to go anywhere else.

 

[samballs]

I like when people say "are training is above FAA standards" FAA standards are bare min. way to pat yourself on the back, so your a step above the lowest standard.