The bottom line on the 60,000-plus Southwest Airlines flights in 2006-2007 and the many cracks in the airplanes used in those flights, called by Rep. Oberstar as “one of the worst safety violations” he has ever seen:

(1) the FAA let it happen, and thereby callously and malevolently put us all in harm’s way;

(2) it happened under Bobby Sturgell’s watch as well as Marion Blakey’s watch;

(3) the FAA looked the other way when first apprised of it happening – so that now, the only question is how high in the FAA did that cover-up go, just like we asked about the Watergate burglary and Sturgell’s namesake Frank Sturgis a few years ago; and

(4) the FAA is now fining Southwest, to give itself, the FAA, political cover; not to mention likely to try to subsidize the now-spendthrift FAA’s extensive litigation defense-costs brought about by 13-and-counting litigations and the FAA’s mismanagement and trampling of the rights of innocent Americans.

This is the FAILED AVIATION AGENCY. The American public must hit the “Eject” button on Bobby Sturgell, and replace him with an Administrator who is actually competent. NOW.

Well Alan, although I am taking your words a bit out of context, I think this is precisely the problem.

I’d actually like to believe the FAA is aware of the problems, but I’m honestly not sure.

A few posts ago, someone else brought up a very intersting question. If FAA is doing something to counter the effects of a controller shortage and a rising number of near misses, wouldn’t you think it would make sense for them to go out and psread the word in places like this?

I would think so, but then I’m not an FAA communications person.

Thanks very much for your thoughts.

Looks like C Bowers was addressing previous poster WG, not you, in the question of “what makes you an expert” — you’ve demonstrated that you’ve been there and do have a good understanding of the situation. WG hasn’t listed any creds, which leads one to think he/she is an observer, not an industry worker.

Great blog, great job in generating discussion.

But after having spent 40 years flying as a charter and airline pilot, as well as 25 years writing about the industry, I think I’ve been around long enough to have an opinion.

I honestly am not sure which part of these posts you’re reacting too, because I think I’ve pretty much taken the side of ATC here, as John Carr mentioned in his column at the Main Bang – http://themainbang.typepad.com/ – last week.

Be that as it is, you make a very important point when you state again that FAA believes there is no correlation between fatigue and a deterioration of safety.

We have been through the same thing for years on the cockpit side. It won’t be until there is a crash that is clearly linked to fatigue and the FAA runs out of arguments that it will decide to do something.

But now that I think of it, wasn’t the controller in LEX labeled as a contributing factor in that crash because he was tired?

I also agree that we need to be talking about this topic somewhere in addition to Jetwhine, hence my comment about targeting a bulletin board at AARP, a place where I know there are people who travel quite a bit.

They’ve so far been very interested in listening.

Thanks for your note.