DOT Inspector General Chides FAA Oversight of American Airlines

The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General on Friday criticized the Federal Aviation Administration for its oversight of maintenance issues with American Airlines.

The report raised serious safety concerns and chided both the FAA for its lax supervision of the airline, and American itself for its failure to immediately report any issues.

The story by the Associated Press noted several dangerous instances of little to no oversight. In one instance, an American Airlines plane continued to fly for three years with a broken emergency evacuation chute. Another American jet flew more than 1,000 flights with missing engine bushings and improperly installed struts holding the engines in place.

The report called that particular plane “unairworthy.”

The Inspector General also said wrote that in some instances when the FAA did investigate a maintenance issue it failed to follow through, sometimes closing the books on a compliance case before the airline corrected the problems.

An FAA spokeswoman told the Associated Press that the agency “agrees with many of the recommendations in the report and is taking steps to address them.”

American defended its safety record in an emailed statement to the AP.

“This has always been our approach: open, transparent communication and collaboration with our regulators and immediate action to remedy issues and ensure the continued safety of our airline and the industry,” an airline spokeswoman wrote. “We plan to work with the FAA to ensure we take positive action and continuously refine and improve our safety controls.”

Since 2015, FAA policy has shifted when it comes to oversight and compliance. The agency now works hand-in-hand with airlines to address maintenance issues, a policy that many have questioned as to whether an airline can be assured it will police itself.