The Wall Street Journal
By Andy Pasztor and Alison Sider
Updated June 25, 2019 8:18 pm ET
The Federal Aviation Administration has removed three senior managers in the office overseeing Southwest Airlines Co. , amid allegations of lax safety enforcement raised by agency whistleblowers and various resulting government inquiries, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Transportation Department’s inspector-general has been looking into some of the safety issues for many months, these people said, including lapses by the airline in documenting maintenance for more than 100 of its jets. Other parts of the probe focus on failures to reliably compute the weight of checked baggage and hazardous landing incidents in which one aircraft smacked a wingtip on the tarmac and another ran off the strip in stormy weather.
Separate congressional investigations began delving into a number of such operational and maintenance slipups by Southwest more recently, though one person familiar with the details said those inquiries didn’t have any impact on the personnel moves. The reassignments, also prompted by allegations that managers retaliated against whistleblowing safety inspectors, were revealed to FAA employees on Tuesday, these people said.
An FAA spokesman declined to comment on personnel matters, but in a statement suggested the management shake-up was tied to long-running friction and disputes inside the office stemming from various whistleblower complaints. The spokesman said the agency takes allegations regarding safety oversight and retaliation seriously while working “continuously to improve the FAA organization’s overall performance to meet our critical safety mission.”
“To uphold these principles, we take appropriate action as necessary,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Southwest said it is cooperating fully with the inspector general’s probe. “We remain absolutely confident that our maintenance procedures ensure the airworthiness of our aircraft,” she said.
The employees who were reassigned include Carroll Hebert, office manager, and two of his lieutenants responsible for operations and maintenance. Mr. Hebert didn’t immediately respond to an email request for comment. The three managers have been replaced on an interim basis; naming permanent replacements could take months.
The union representing FAA safety inspectors nationwide has complained to both FAA headquarters and congressional staffers about alleged management retaliation against inspectors who raised safety concerns, according to people familiar with the details. The union declined to comment.
The personnel shifts, which went into effect over the weekend and were announced to FAA employees in the Dallas-area office Tuesday morning, follow months of escalating controversy—some of it public—regarding the office’s oversight of Southwest.
Among the issues under scrutiny by the inspector general and officials at FAA headquarters is widespread miscalculation of the total weight of checked bags loaded onto each Southwest flight, according to government officials and internal agency documents. That investigation was the subject of a previous Wall Street Journal report.
The FAA’s civil probe, documents show, found systemic and significant mistakes with employee calculations and luggage-loading practices, resulting in potential discrepancies when pilots compute takeoff weights.
While in a few cases the FAA found the load was more than 1,000 pounds in excess of what airline paperwork indicated, Southwest has said its system carries minimal risk for passengers. In the past, the carrier said it had cooperated fully with the FAA and voluntarily reports issues to enhance safety, with a Southwest spokesman calling dealings with the agency part of a “routine dialogue.” Earlier this year, the airline said it planned to phase in new baggage-counting procedures by the end of 2019.
Inspector general investigators have been gathering information and interviewing inspectors about the baggage issue and other matters since last year, and are expected to issue a comprehensive report on FAA oversight of Southwest by early 2020, according to some of the people familiar with the process.
Officially called the FAA’s certificate-management office overseeing Southwest, the same part of the agency was the focus of significant controversy more than a decade ago when congressional investigators discovered that local agency managers had allowed the airline to continue flying tens of thousands of passengers on nearly two dozen aircraft without completing mandatory structural inspections. The public furor prompted the agency and lawmakers to revamp the FAA’s mission to focus solely on safety oversight, eliminating its prior responsibilities for promoting aviation.
This time, similar debates about policy and management priorities again have roiled the office, creating what one person familiar with the details called a “toxic environment,” pitting management against inspectors opposed to the agency’s changing, less-punitive approach to oversight.
https://www.wsj.com
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Scottsdale, Arizona
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
http://registry.faa.gov/N8515S
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after he refueled his airplane, he was cleared by the tower controller to the runway. He added that, as he taxied west toward taxiway Delta, the asphalt was very rough, and he did not see the taxiway to his left nor the unmarked drainage ditch immediately in front of him. The airplane entered the ditch travelling about 5 knots.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Review of the accident airport diagram revealed that the area around the ditch was not a depicted taxiway. Further review of satellite imagery revealed that there were two access points to taxiway Delta southwest of the refueling point.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to use taxiways shown on the airport diagrams and his subsequent failure to avoid a ditch.
Findings
Personnel issues
Monitoring environment - Pilot (Cause)
Use of available resources - Pilot (Cause)
Environmental issues
Rough terrain - Effect on operation
Factual Information
History of Flight
Taxi
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Location: Tucson, AZ
Accident Number: GAA18CA051
Date & Time: 11/12/2017, 1230 MST
Registration: N8515S
Aircraft: CESSNA 182H
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Ground collision
Injuries: 3 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
The pilot reported that after he refueled his airplane, he was cleared by the tower controller to runway 21. He added that as he taxied west toward taxiway delta, the asphalt was very rough, and he did not see the taxiway to his left, nor the unmarked drainage ditch immediately in front of him. The airplane entered the ditch travelling about 5 knots.
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
A review of the accident airport diagram revealed that the area around the ditch was not a depicted taxi way. A further review of satellite imagery revealed that there were two access points to taxiway delta southwest of the refueling point.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 78, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 11/04/2015
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 03/28/2016
Flight Time: (Estimated) 2290 hours (Total, all aircraft), 100 hours (Total, this make and model), 2031 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 16 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: CESSNA
Registration: N8515S
Model/Series: 182H H
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1965
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 18256615
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 08/02/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2800 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 4000 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O470
Registered Owner: BON VOL LLC
Rated Power: 230 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KTUS, 2555 ft msl
Observation Time: 1953 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 321°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 1°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.07 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: San Quintin, FN
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Destination: Tucson, AZ (TUS)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time: 0900 PST
Type of Airspace: Class B
Airport Information
Airport: TUCSON INTL (TUS)
Runway Surface Type: N/A
Airport Elevation: 2643 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Unknown
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: None
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 None
Latitude, Longitude: 32.114444, -110.939167 (est)
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Columbus, Ohio
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
http://registry.faa.gov/N10GJ
Location: Carol, OH
Accident Number: CEN18LA036
Date & Time: 11/08/2017, 1230 EST
Registration: N10GJ
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28-180
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Fuel related
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On November 8, 2017, about 1230 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N10GJ, was damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Carroll, Ohio. The pilot was not injured. The airplane received substantial damage to its left wing. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The local flight originated from the Fairfield County Airport(LHQ), Lancaster, Ohio, about 1200.
The pilot reported that he was performing takeoff and landing practice and while on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern he applied carburetor heat, 10° flaps, turned on the fuel pump, and reduced throttle to 1,500 rpm to set up for the base leg. He stated that the engine suddenly stopped producing power and was unresponsive to throttle input. He attempted to restart the engine without success. He turned the airplane onto a base leg but had insufficient altitude to make it back to the airport and landed in a field.
Subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that it had about 36 gallons of fuel remaining. A ground run of the engine was performed and the engine started and was run for several minutes at power setting from 1,500 to 1,700 rpm. Additional testing of the airplane's electric fuel boost pump and engine driven fuel pump revealed that both pumps were capable of pumping fuel. No anomalies were discovered that would explain the loss of engine power.
The temperature and dew point recorded at the accident airport about the time of the accident were 9° and 2° Celsius respectively. The recorded temperature and dew point were in the range of susceptibility for serious carburetor icing at any power setting. An article on carburetor icing published by Flight Safety Australia stated that if ice forms in the carburetor of a fixed pitch propeller aircraft, the restriction to the induction airflow will reduce power and force a drop in rpm, which might be accompanied or followed by rough running as the fuel/air mixture ratio is upset. Applying carburetor heat introduces less dense hot air which will cause a further drop in rpm.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 64, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 08/01/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 450 hours (Total, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Registration: N10GJ
Model/Series: PA 28-180 180
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1972
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 287205192
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: Unknown
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LHQ, 868 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site:
Observation Time: 1753 UTC
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 10000 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 8 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 60°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 30.24 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 9°C / 2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: LANCASTER, OH (LHQ)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: LANCASTER, OH (LHQ)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1200 EST
Type of Airspace: Class G
Airport Information
Airport: FAIRFIELD COUNTY (LHQ)
Runway Surface Type: N/A
Airport Elevation: 868 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 10
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5004 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Forced Landing
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 39.755556, -82.657222
Location: Carol, OH
Accident Number: CEN18LA036
Date & Time: 11/08/2017, 1345 EST
Registration: N10GJ
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28-180
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On November 8, 2017, about 1345 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N10GJ, was damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Carroll, Ohio. The pilot was not injured. The airplane received substantial damage to its left wing. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Fairfield County Airport(LHQ), Lancaster, Ohio, at an undetermined time.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: PIPER
Registration: N10GJ
Model/Series: PA 28-180 180
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LHQ, 868 ft msl
Observation Time: 1853 UTC
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point: 11°C / 1°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 10000 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots/ 14 knots, 30°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.23 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: LANCASTER, OH (LHQ)
Destination: LANCASTER, OH (LHQ)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude:
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Scottsdale, Arizona
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
http://registry.faa.gov/N234PB
Location: Overgaard, AZ
Accident Number: GAA18CA056
Date & Time: 11/23/2017, 1100 MST
Registration: N234PB
Aircraft: BUEHLMANN PETER KITFOX MODEL 4 1200
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane veered to the right. He over corrected, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground looped to the left.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to fuselage and right wing.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Findings
Aircraft
Directional control - Not attained/maintained (Cause)
Personnel issues
Aircraft control - Pilot (Cause)
Factual Information
History of Flight
Landing
Loss of control on ground (Defining event)
Attempted remediation/recovery
Runway excursion
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 60, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Waiver Time Limited Special
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/26/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 11/18/2017
Flight Time: (Estimated) 1767 hours (Total, all aircraft), 930 hours (Total, this make and model), 1566 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 20 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 6 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: BUEHLMANN PETER
Registration: N234PB
Model/Series: KITFOX MODEL 4 1200 IV
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2002
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: ICU096
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 10/17/2017, Condition
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1200 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 900 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: C91 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: 912
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 80 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KSOW, 6411 ft msl
Observation Time: 1755 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 27 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 107°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 15°C / -1°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots, 360°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.39 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: LAVEEN, AZ (AZ90)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Overgaard, AZ (AZ82)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 0915 MST
Type of Airspace: Class G
Airport Information
Airport: MOGOLLON AIRPARK (AZ82)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 6657 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 21
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3420 ft / 50 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 34.399444, -110.529444 (est)
