March 6, 2008

Southwest Airlines violated FAA rules for months

The FAA is seeking a a $10.2 million fine against Southwest Airlines for flying thousands of passengers on planes that federal inspectors said were not airworthy.

Documents submitted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors to congressional investigators allege the airline flew at least 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks. In some cases, the documents say, the planes flew for 30 months past government inspection deadlines that should have grounded the planes until the inspections could be completed. The planes were "not air worthy" according to congressional air safety investigators.

On Thursday, the FAA initiated actions to seek a $10.2 million civil penalty against Southwest for allegedly operating 46 airplanes without conducting mandatory checks for fuselage cracking.

Calling the situation detailed in the FAA documents "one of the worst safety violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline may have put its own passengers in danger.