HSLD

I thought it was funny!

mulcher

Heck its the safest airline in the air right now. The feds are all over the place. They are even doing walkarounds two at a time. We are under a microscope now.

UnlimitedAkro

I was wondering why those 2 guys were holding hands and walking around the airplane. Safety first.

EagleDriver

If the issue was closed over a year ago why are they grounding the aircraft today? In the initial reports I read that they discovered the problem a year ago and I thought they inspected the jets at that point. What's the truth about today's grounding? Did they discover the lack of compliance with AD's a year ago and are only now serious about the inspections? I find that difficult to believe. Does anyone know exactly what's going on?

C5Guy

Of course I do. Its just one of those times where you need the "insert heavy sarcasm button". It wasn't a crack at you, it was to further the joke. I guess I did a horrible job

C5Guy

If and when I find out I will post for you. My guess is that its another overreaction to please politicos. But that is JMO. An investigation really should be done on Oberstar. Its interesting how he investigates things once his campaign purse jumps up a few dollars. Just ask the railroad workers.

joel payne

More info from Reuters-

Wednesday March 12, 2008
Southwest Suspends Workers Over Safety Probe
March 11, 2008
Southwest Airlines suspended three employees in response to government allegations it knowingly flew planes that had not been properly inspected for potential structural flaws, the carrier said on Tuesday.

The airline also said it would review its maintenance oversight practices with the help of an outside expert and make any changes to ensure that it is in full compliance with US safety regulations.

"These are important and necessary steps," Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly said in a statement.

Last week, the FAA proposed a record USD$10.2 million fine against Southwest for allegedly failing, over a period of several months in 2006 and 2007, to complete required aircraft safety inspections on 46 older Boeing 737s.

Safety and congressional investigators said the planes should have been grounded although the airline said at no time was the safety of any aircraft compromised.

Southwest said it was given clearance by the FAA and Boeing to fly the planes while it completed the routine checks for small fuselage cracks. Cracks were found on six planes and fixed.

Two senior FAA officials in Dallas, where Southwest is based, have been reassigned over the matter, the FAA said last week.

Kelly said Southwest took the latest action after an internal investigation. It did not identify the three employees or describe their duties but said they had been placed on administrative leave.

"I have insisted that we have the appropriate maintenance organizational and governance structure in place to ensure that the right decisions are being made," Kelly said.

In addition to the FAA, which is investigating another possible safety violation at Southwest, a congressional committee and the Transportation Department inspector general are conducting their own investigations.

(Reuters)

SmoothOnTop

It takes 2 to tango...It's a system failure.

WN is the champion of American travel. The champ gets knocked down, springs back up and earns the title again.

MTOP

My advice: Don't take the interview.

If you are afraid to fly the airplanes that make up the U.S. commercial airline fleet, the safest air transportation system in the world, to say nothing of one of the safest air carrier operations in the world, then you should look into some other line of work.

Hunt599

nevermind, not worth it...