FAA to review airline maintenance practices

WASHINGTON -- Federal aviation regulators announced on Tuesday a review of maintenance practices for all of the nation's airlines in the wake of a record-setting fine against Southwest Airlines for skirting inspection requirements.

The Federal Aviation Administration notified airline CEOs Monday that its inspectors will audit their businesses to find out whether they have finished safety inspections and repairs.

"While the data tell us flying is safer than ever, prudence dictates we take this additional precaution," said Robert Sturgell, acting FAA administrator.

The FAA action stems from what agency officials call a significant breakdown in oversight at Southwest, the low-cost airline that has grown to become the nation's largest carrier of domestic passengers. The issue has been thrust into the spotlight because two FAA whistle-blowers reported it to the House Transportation Committee.

The trade group for large airlines, the Air Transport Association (ATA), issued a statement praising the FAA audits.

"This is a prudent move by the FAA that will validate the effectiveness of airline compliance systems. Audits such as this, along with the countless others being performed by the airlines, help create the redundancies that make our aviation system the safest in the world," the ATA said.

FAA inspectors will review whether airlines are complying with the dozens of safety-related maintenance actions that it requires each year. The audits will focus on so-called "airworthiness directives," which require airlines to inspect or replace key equipment identified as hazardous.

By March 28, FAA inspectors must review how well airlines followed a sample of 10 airworthiness directives. Inspectors will review compliance of 10% of the directives that apply to each carrier by June 30.

The audits cover the 118 airlines with planes holding 10 or more passengers. During nine months in 2006 and 2007, Southwest kept at least 46 of its jets in service despite missing inspections for cracks in the skin required by an airworthiness directive, the FAA says. Such cracks led to a 1988 fatal accident on Aloha Airlines.