Source: United States Senator for California – Dianne Feinstein
Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called on the Federal Aviation Administration to improve its safety oversight, noting a recent inspector general report that found problems with 92 percent of safety cases sampled involving American Airlines.
“It is clear from the Inspector General’s report that the FAA has failed to meet regulatory requirements meant to ensure the safety of passengers and aircraft. Specifically, this most recent report found that in 171 out of 185 (92 percent) of cases they reviewed, FAA inspectors failed to push for a thorough analysis of problems and accepted incorrect root cause analyses from American Airlines,” Senator Feinstein wrote in a letter to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson.
Feinstein continued, “I ask both American Airlines and the FAA take active steps to ensure all airline operations are safe.”
Full text of the letter follows and is available here:
November 8, 2021
Administrator Steve Dickson
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20591
Dear Administrator Dickson:
The following expresses my concerns regarding the recent report by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General that details numerous instances where FAA inspectors failed to adequately oversee American Airlines’ maintenance and safety operations. This is disconcerting and reminiscent of safety concerns I raised in my February 2020 letter to Southwest Airlines, and I ask that you provide a list of steps you are taking to improve oversight processes and inspector training as a result of the report’s findings.
It is clear from the Inspector General’s report that the FAA has failed to meet regulatory requirements meant to ensure the safety of passengers and aircraft. Specifically, this most recent report found that in 171 out of 185 (92 percent) of cases they reviewed, FAA inspectors failed to push for a thorough analysis of problems and accepted incorrect root cause analyses from American Airlines. The report also found that the FAA closed cases before the company implemented corrective actions.
This is simply unacceptable. The FAA must conduct more rigorous oversight and prioritize passenger safety above all else. As a Senator representing California, this report exposes negligence that endangers my constituents. I ask both American Airlines and the FAA take active steps to ensure all airline operations are safe. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to learning more about your efforts to ensure airline safety.
Sincerely,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
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