FAA's Fine Against SWA Mx Bad for Safety?

[Flopgut]

I'm one of not too many pilots with supervisory mx experience in an air carrier operation. PCL is right.

 

[viper548]

This is the same reason Jetblue got in trouble for exceeding the 8 hour flight time. Someone WITHOUT the authority to allow it signed off on it. Kinda like if tower tells you to fly 300 knots below 10,000ft. Just because someone that works for the FAA says yes, it doesn't mean you can do it.

 

[viper548]

duplicate

 

[PCL_128]

Exactly. Same reason your FOM says that the FARs take precedence if they are more restrictive than your manual. No POI has the authority to override the regs, required mx inspections, training requirements, etc...

 

[328dude]

Airtran dude is correct. POI's can't override regs.

 

[say again]

You gotta pay for your screw ups, and SWA royally f-ed up.

Self-disclosure or not, this wasn't a minor offense and now they must pay the consequences.

 

[PlaneDrvr]

The FAA" didn't approve your delayed mx plan, your PMI did.

You are an idiot if you believe that. Our PMI is our FAA representative who speaks and acts on behalf of the FAA. Our PMI is the FAA as far as any airline is concerned. He is the authority for the FAA. What he agrees to, is what we go by.

Do you think that a waiver in your ops specs doesn't trump a FAR? The FAA representatives who grant waivers, etc. have the power to trump FAR's. What they say goes.

Obviously, there are issues that neither you or I are aware of here, but to think the PMI doesn't have the power to make exceptions or grant waivers just shows your lack of knowledge.

FYI,

The only people who can issue a "waiver" to anything major is FAA HQ, 800 Independence Ave., Wash, DC.

Additionally, the only people who can give an 'Official' interpretation of the FARs, is 'FAA Legal' at FAA HQ, again 800 Independence Ave., Wash, DC. This is what got JB in trouble the other year when they were going by an interpretation by a POI.

The people running SWA know all of this also, and if they were going by a 'waiver' from a FSDO PMI; then quite simply, they know (or should have known) they were WRONG, peroid.

For all of the SWA "kool-aide drinkers" and cheerleaders; think about it for a second, everything turned out all right, they did not find anything serious other than 'minor cracks' in like 6 a/c. However, since the inspections were NOT done, suppose there would have been a 'more then minor crack' in at least one a/c, not caught, and under normal pressurization at fight, a part of the outer skin separated; end result, possibly 100+ dead bodies scattered across the ground. Or worse yet, the same thing happening to more than one a/c, and could have 'risked' the entire Company.

SWA was just 'lucky' nothing SERIOUS occurred.

I have flown these '737 classics' and one sign that the inspections were done right, is the appearance of 'numerous scab patches' on the forward fuselage.

Also, Years, and years ago, when I was in college, I worked an 'internship' at FAA HQ in Wash, DC, so I do know how the system works, most of the real 'authority' is held at the top of the Agency. It was a real good education and experience in how the sytem works, and still benefits me to this day. The FSDOs, and even 'Regional' do NOT have alot of authority when it comes to 'major' issues. Again, FYI, every pilot should keep this in mind, when the POI, PMI, or FSDO, says something??

For what it worth.

DA

 

[grog_sit_reserv]

Lets be clear, this is why SWA was supposed to be making these inspections. Would you want your family in the back?

They got lucky and so did their passengers. It ain't about whether the fine is excessive, or if people are SWA Bashers or SWA Apologists. They were not acting in the interest of air safety at SWA or FAA.

They were irresponsible. They self disclosed, and then kept on flying these planes in defiance of FARs. Just because you 'fess up doesn't mean you don't have to fix the problem no matter what your pocket POI says.

Hey SWA, pay the fine and STFU. Count your blessings that no body died while you let 43 planes (8% of your fleet) fly without very necessary inspections.