Southwest flew ‘unsafe’ planes
According to documents which were submitted to congressional investigators by the FAA, and recently obtained by CNN, as recently as last March, Southwest Airlines was guilty of flying thousands of passengers on aircraft which federal inspectors said were “unsafe”. At least 117 aircraft were in violation of mandatory safety checks. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, called it “one of the worst safety violations he had ever seen”. Southwest Airlines declined comment.
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4 Responses to “Southwest flew ‘unsafe’ planes”
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Chris - No one is more passionate about the safety of our Customers and Employees than we are, and it’s important for our Customers to know that this situation was never and is not now a safety of flight issue.
The inspections in question were one of many routine, redundant, and overlapping inspections of our fleet. And, as an article from today’s Wall Street Journal accurately points out, we discovered the missed inspection ourselves, informed the FAA, and promptly completed the missed inspections in March 2007. The FAA approved our actions and considered the matter closed as of April 2007.
Again, the safety of our Customers, Employees, and aircraft is always our number one concern. Southwest has an excellent maintenance program, and this experience has helped improve the overall safety of the fleet.
Paula Berg
Southwest Airlines
The first page of Google results about Southwest Airlines flack Paula Berg tells us this:
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2007/06/15/behind-the-scenes-blog-queen/
Now, never mind “wacky”, and “off-the-wall” - “behind-the-scenes Blog Queen” and “Nuts about Southwest” say it all for me.
So, to Paula Berg of Southwest Airlines, the airline company’s “behind-the-scenes Blog Queen”, who says, regarding the events of March 6-7, 2008, and the now-record US$10,200,000 in fines racked up by Southwest:
“…this situation was never and is not now a safety of flight issue”.
Nonsense, Paula. Cracks in airplanes? Nonsense, Paula.
I’ve been around publicists and other entertainment folk for over 20 years, and I have heard better publicity emanating from self-plugging screenwriters on acid.
And, Paula, as for:
“[t]he FAA approved our actions and considered the matter closed as of April 2007″.
Nonsense, Paula.
It’s not “closed”, until WE the PUBLIC say it is closed! Take that back to your superiors for me - and tell them that we are just getting started.
Oh – and, congratulations on staying behind the scenes.
John J. Tormey III, Esq.
Quiet Rockland
[...] late last week following the discovery that Southwest Airlines flew at least 117 aircraft that missed mandatory inspection deadlines. Said Oberstar, “Complacency has likely set in to the highest levels of FAA management. I [...]
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