Airline Safety and Inspections
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-04-06/airline-safety-and-inspections
The emergency landing of a Southwest flight prompts new questions about airline safety. The FAA calls for changes in the way aging aircraft are maintained and checked worldwide. Diane and guests discuss the risks of air travel today.
Guests
Steven Wallace
an Aviation Safety Consultant and Charter Pilot and former director of the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Accident Investigation.
Lee Collins
Executive Vice President, Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations
Ashley Halsey III
transportation reporter for the Washington Post
Mary Schiavo
an aviation attorney and the former Inspector General for the US Department of Transportation.
Related Video
In "Flying Cheaper," which aired on most PBS stations this past January, correspondent Miles O'Brien investigated the outsourcing of major airline repair work to lower-cost independent operations. In this clip, O'Brien examines allegations of illegal airline parts being used to service planes of major carriers:
Comments
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It is a shame that the American public is only willing to look at the price of an airline ticket and never consider what it takes to put that aluminum tube into the air and to do it safely. In the past 7 years the industry has lost thousands of Aviation Maintenance Technicians and the size of the US fleet has not decreased that much, but the age of the fleet has only increased. I would like to ask Mrs. Schiavo what she thinks about the FAA watering down the requirements of a licensed AMT in the future to overcome the dwindling number of new mechanics coming out of schools?
Re: Tired and out of date airplanes
Are you sure the airlines don't sell the planes to small developing countries after they are too old to fly in the US. I have been in some very old planes in domestic flights in foreign countries.
Thank you
FAA investigations, terrorism, and 9/11 - now that's a great combination for discussion. Problem is the FAA had no investigations with regard to 9/11. What ever happen to that "plane" that struck the Pentagon? Duh. Great technique. I've heard dribble before, but this is getting pretty deep.
Do all US airlines outsource their routine maintenance to foreign companies? I was under the understanding from a CNBC special a few years ago that American Airlines does all their heavy maintenance here in the USA.
The unions warned us. We could see this fakudi coming a million air-miles away. Frontline investigated the uncertified and shoddy maintenance downgrade months ago.
Tornadoes don't only hit trailer parks. We are a sadistic society hungry for spectacles of suffering. Think about the last time your newscaster salivated over a bus crash of elderly church-goers returning from Branson, Missouri. High stakes get the blood up: life and death, suffering, pain and dismemberment!
At Chaco Canyon the Imperial Pueblans built a temple under Threatening Rock. It finally fell in the 40s crushing the ruin. Living under threat serves an elite purpose psychologically. Flying wouldn't be damn near as much fun without the prospect of dying being ever-present. Our jackpot/thrill ride socialization makes Oligarchs richer. Their business jets get waxed by tarmac jockeys 24-7, and they deduct a new one every three years.
So hop aboard what amounts to a culvert propelled by an oil furnace. It feels so exciting, like crawling through a cave in the sky. Wake up sleepy air traffic control, another tube of flesh and laptops is barreling in.
Do any of the Tea Party crowd understand that FAA safety rules are a result of the federal regulatory system that they are so eager to get rid of? Someone should ask them whether they would prefer to fly Congo Air, one of the airlines the European Union cites as unsafe because of no safety regulation enforcement.
In focusing on the foreign outsourcing of maintenance, consider that ANY outsourcing has negative implications. In my experience, to lifelong airline employees, their carrier iinspires loyalty tantamount to a religious denomination. (This is true even if they detest their carrier's management.) They inevitably take personal pride in their work, as they take pride in their airline. Additionally, I always say that one of the best safety enhancements in the airline industry is the employee pass privilege. When a mechanic is keenly aware that his wife or his children might be aboard that airplane tomorrow, it gives an added incentive to show diligent care. All that is missing in any outsourcing.
Regarding Southwest Airlines: the cozy relationship between Southwest and its POI (FAA Primary Operations Inspector) is well known. Although I fly frequently in my work on aviation safety, I will not fly on Southwest, for many reasons.
The Washington Post reporter has now disclosed his pro-Southwest bias. Keep that in mind when you read his articles.
While one of the commentators mentioned the $2 subsidy for passengers on the Washington Metro system, she didn't mention the subsidies that American taxpayers pay on the interstate highway system or the subsidies on the state and county roads in the U.S.
We usually fly Jet Blue, and have never had a problem, however my family recently had to take AA to a vacation spot, and were delayed at Logan(Boston) for over 3 1/2 hours due to an altimeter which needed to be replaced, and had to have been flown up from JFK. Leaving our vacation spot the same flight was delayed almost 3 hours for some unknown reason. I just heard that that same flight had to make an emergency landing in NYC on the way to St. Thomas.
Like a friend said, who had similar difficulties flying Delta "Jet Blue - I'll never cheat on you again".
Rob on Martha's Vineyard
In response to the comments about high speed rail I must state that we NEED high speed rail in this country. There is no evidence that supports the possibility that people won't use it, simply based on how we drive so much now. We drive now because we have no other options. We fly because we have few options--drive, fly, or take the slow train. Think also of those who cannot drive--disabled, blind, elderly, and high school students under age to drive. Think also of those who cannot afford a car--college students, the poor. What we need is alternative transportation. Right now we are all FORCED into cars and highways w/no choice!
Nancy
Cincinnati
More calls for more government! what a shock coming from the D.R. show.
The airlines are as safe or safer than they have ever been. Get real! Nothing is perfect.
The general public feels as if airlines shuttle them into packed planes and treat them like nothing more than numbers. While the 'safety record' might be 'stellar' in your guests eyes, there is more to flying than just reaching your destination in one piece...
At the mention of high speed rail it was wife obvious your guests felt threatened by this emerging form of travel. Their claims of 'it doesn't work here' and it's supposed waste of billions of dollars are simply untrue. For yourfemale guest to go as far as to demonize theDC metro made her sound like a frightened child. Yes the metro is subsidized by the government, was she trying to imply that every single aspect of the airline industry isn't as well?
These folks seem to be idealizing air travel and placing it on an undeserved pedestal. Which is understandable since that is where they make their money.
Planemedic is correct. I have been a licensed AMT for 30 years and have watched the cuts affect maintenance since the beginning. Truth is airlines don't like to do the inspections because it costs them money. First they have to take the plane out of service (lost revenue) then they have to have their mechanics do the inspection or fly it somewhere to have it done (cost of non-revenue flight + payment for services). The standard today is to fly it somewhere else to have it done cheaper. Almost always by an unlicensed mechanic with little to no supervision. The mechanic often will not speak english, so he cannot read the maintenance manual. He will usually not be closely supervised, if at all. The FAA does NOT inspect these facilities, but may have done so when it first opened. The airlines' lobby (the ATA) insures this by having congress restrict the FAA budget, making it impossible to do. The ATA is a very powerful lobby, and doesn't really have airline safety as their main concern. It's all about the bottom line, and keeping stock holders happy. Which brings me to this point: why do we pay basicly the same price for a ticket that we paid 40 years ago? I remember flying to see my grandmother in Florida from the midwest in the mid 60's. I remember the price because I had to save up my money to do it. I can get a ticket for the same trip today for the same price or less. Why would anyone expect to have peace of mind flying at these prices? And because you might fly first class, you are flying on the same plane as I am, so your only advantage is you will contact the ground on impact before me.
MONTE, You have no idea what you are talking about. The bottom line is the most important thing to the airlines. Your safety only enters the equation when bad publicity (and lost revenue as a result) impacts the bottom line.
As a long time listener and admirer I have become concerned in that increasingly your guest selection is inappropriate when techinal issues are discussed. Today is a case in point. Your panel would have been strenghtened if it had included either a practicing Structural Engineer or Quality Engineer or Mechanic
As a retired engineer (Aircraft, Structure) I notice that for technical expertese you usually have either an accademic, a scientist, a lawyer, or a user (pilot), but no one who has working knowledge of the problem
In the case of the Japnese powerplant, the oil rig, and this latest 737 issue a real expert was not present.
Their is a whole family of experts within the engineering, manufacturing, and quality disciplines that would significantly raise the discussion quality when an appropriate technical subject is discussed
Your guest made a ridiculous comment about part 135 charter aircraft going down all of the time. The comment was not only not true, but very unproffesional. Aviation transportation is the safest form of transportation in the world. People need to look at the true statistics of aviation accidents/casualties compared to everyday driving.
Commercial Pilot
5000hrs
I have noticed that the 737 planes that I have been on recently have 6 columns of seats. Back when I was a kid, I remember them having only 5. Is it possible that these extra seats are responsible for them deteriorating more quickly?
I was glad to hear that at least one caller made the connection between deregulation and the rise in incidences like these. It is particularly pertinent in the light of what is being debated on the floor of Congress (attempting to cut the budget in part on the back of the federal work force). The FAA can not monitor these situations if they do not have the budget and manpower to do so. We all seem to be surprised that private industry does not responsibly take steps to "do the right thing" (by the public) when most of the historical evidence clearly indicates that they never have unless forced to do so. If we want quality and accountability anywhere in our society, we are going to have to learn that it does not come free, and we need to pay for it.
Idea and questions for a future broadcast:
The suggestion of having an engineer from the Boeing Corporation as a guest is a sound one. I would particularly want to ask Boeing about the process of manufacturing a new aircraft, vis., Wouldn't it be preferable to start with an out-dated aircraft as a source of raw material in the manufacturing process? Wouldn't it make sense to put every scrap of material to use in that process?
You might want to consider this in light of the Ford Motor Company's plan to build a dis-assembly line into its new manufacturing facility in Dearborn, Michigan.
Cf. William McDonough and Michael Baumgart, Cradle To Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things (2002).
As downward pressure on wages, benefits, and quality of life on pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, customer service agents, baggage handlers, etc countinues, service will only degrade and safety will degrade. This industry is very safety sensitive and must be well regulated. That includes ensuring that the professions involved remain properly compensated, lucrative, and have a proper quality of life.
This morning I listened to Mary Schiavo, an aviation attorney and the former Inspector General for the US Department of Transportation dismiss high speed rail because "people won't support it."
Well, it's pretty clear we won't support fast trains if we don't have fast trains!
Ms. Schiavo also said it isn't fair that each D.C. Metro rider's fare is subsidized $2 by the local taxpayers. Would she rather see that money – and a whole lot more – spent on expanding highways that are already overcrowded and obsolete? Meanwhile, as a citizen of the most prosperous and powerful nation on earth, I can't even get snail rail service from Louisville to Cincinnati, Indianapolis or Nashville! That we don't take it seriously is a national disgrace.
While in D.C. I learned firsthand that people will indeed use faster trains and they're willing to pay for them – even if they don't use them! In just a couple of years, the Metro lines have helped D.C. reduce the number of cars on their roads by 15,000 – even while the population increased by 16,000! According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), every time you take a car off the road you keep more than $7,000 a year in your local economy. In D.C. that means more than $172 million a year. Money to spend on fast trains and bike lanes.
Mary Schiavo essentially works for the airlines. Do you really think her bosses would appreciate her promoting fast trains on the radio?
Grace. Peace. Bicycle grease.
PS: Remember, every lane is a bike lane.
Share the road.
Not only did Mary Schiavo dismiss high speed rail because "people won't support it", her example of why Ohio was correct to turn down the money for high speed rail was flawed. She said the proposed Cleveland to Cincinnati route could be driven in 2hr. Only if you can average 125mph. That is a speed that high speed rail could equal or exceed. This is the sweet spot for high speed rail with the time overhead of air travel when you can get a 250 mile trip down to 2hr or less rail becomes preferable to air travel.
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