I don't believe you

As a former ATA employee who loved my Company and my job and was
heartbroken when our res office in Chicago closed I always felt 100% confident, secure and safe whenever I flew. Now you're my carrier and
I have that same confidence whenever I fly SWA (six flights last year, five the year before and two coming up in the next few months). The co-flights with ATA and SWA started shortly before my office closed and with the co-flights the two companies became a team and we learned about each other. I've always had the highest respect for the management , maintenance crews, pilots, flight attendants, and res teams and know that safefy would never be compromised under any condition. I hope this situation gets resolved
quickly and favorably.

Well, Well, Well, where do i beging? I fly southwest almost ever friday and sunday on a regular basis, and i must say that i am not suprised that Southwest got in trouble for lack of maintenance. In fact this one plane i flew on (5 times in a three month period) had an emergency exit door that leaked air during flight. I have also seen cracked windows, seats that dont lock in the "full upright and locked position", and overhead storage bins that need to be slamed shut to lock. Just to name a few things. As far as i am concerned, It is also my belief that Boeing is backing up Southwest airlines because Southwest is Boeing's biggest client. (just my belief) But not to worry fellow Southwesters, I am shure that the airfare will once again go up, and gouge their beloved passengers so Southwest can pay for there fines. As for me, i only flew Sothwest because of there afordable prices, but now, i think that the steady rise in airfare from the past couple of years makes me want to start investing in other airlines. Lets face it, for a few dollars more i can buy the seat i want to sit in. Just my opinoin.

Bryan,
You might want to learn to spell correctly before you go around spewing your opinion (notice the correct spelling of the word). I found 9 mistakes, not to mention the horrendous lack of proper capitalization and use of commas and apostrophes. Just my opinion.

I think that Southwest Airlines is run by liars. The Federal Officials are calling this, "the worst violation they have ever seen." Inspections are due and mandatory due to several crashes involving 737 aircraft. If safety was concern, they would have complied. So they are lying. Profit is their concern. This is unbelievable. SOUTHWEST!!!!!!!!!!!! if you can't run your business correctly then don't run it at all but don't come out with a bunch of lies about safety. Just say you are sorry for failing your customers and shareholders, get rid of the morons that think they are managers and hire honest people.

I am a former employee of America West Airlines, US Air, and Icelandair; therefore, I can appreciate the mission Southwest has maintained within the past decade: allow the general public to travel at an economical cost with safety as its top priority. I comprehend the "politics" of the media, as Southwest has soared in profits as the older carriers have struggled with revenue generation. Therefore, larger carriers are intimidated with Southwest's success! An AIRLINE violation vs. an FAA violation are light years apart! Coincidentally, I now attend Harvard and can smell JEALOUSY a mile away!

I am the host of "SHINE or WHINE on the AIRLINE" on BBS Talk Radio in Los Angeles, CA 10PM-11PM EST (7PM-8PMPST) on MONDAY EVENINGS and will defend Southwest to the listening audience.

Please call in on Monday, March 10th 10PM-11PMEST/7PM-8PM PST: (818)602-4498 and voice ALL OPINIONS to an international audience. www.bbstalkradio.com

So this is how Southwest keeps fares lower than everybody else - not doing maintenance at scheduled intervals and then attempting to explain away their deficiencies when they get caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Southwest, pay your fine, admit your error and move on or your low fares won't be enough to get people to board your airplanes.
Do the right thing and prove to everyone you take responsibility.

Hey, my automobile company just issued a recall for bad suspension parts on my car that could lead to an accident and/or death. Can I get a refund also?

Bryan, you're a moron. With over 500 airplanes, the chance of you being on the same exact airplane more than once, let alone 5 is highly unlikely. Your lies are as bad as the press.

I think there are two sides to every story, and I have chosen to wait until SWA has had their chance to fully present their side before forming an opinion.

As for what I've seen today, I sense possible political motives behind the report.. and find it very strange that it took a year before it was mentioned to the public.

I typically fly 75,000 to 125,00 miles per year for business. My safety is paramount; I have a family that depends on me for income and very much more. I trust every airline I fly to maintain the safety of it's aircraft. You are lying. Everyone knows it. You know what the rules are, and you violated them. You unnecessarily put your customers' safety at risk. Go to hell. I will NEVER fly you again.

Southwest would have you believe these violations were limited to 10 days and a few aircraft. Here's CNN's excerpted views, with FAA corroboration:

"Documents submitted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors to congressional investigators allege the airline flew at least 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks.

In some cases, the documents say, the planes flew for 30 months after government inspection deadlines had passed and should have been grounded until the inspections could be completed.

The planes were "not airworthy," according to congressional air safety investigators.

On Thursday, the FAA initiated actions to seek a $10.2 million civil penalty against Southwest for allegedly operating 46 airplanes without conducting mandatory checks for fuselage cracking.

"The FAA is taking action against Southwest Airlines for a failing to follow rules that are designed to protect passengers and crew," Nicholas A. Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety, said in a written statement."

Got a death wish? Go for it....

First, kudos for publishing the negative posts in this thread. Good on ya.

Now, it seems to me a simple matter to pull the maintenance logs of the equipment cited in the NYT and other articles. Were there cracks? If there were, were they signed off by FAA inspectors?

You do not cite any specific violations in your post, other than "missed inspection areas." Well, Paula, if the cracks were detected, these areas weren't "missed," were they? Have there been instances where found cracks were ignored as the article(s) allege, or is all of this bookeeping/administrative insufficiencies?

Finally, would you kindly outline the procedures in place that prevent(ed) any further problems for which you are paying a multi-million dollar fine? Perhaps an anecdote or three as to how these new protocols prevented sub-nominal equipment from flying could be included?

Thank you.

I am an employee of SWA. I am very proud to be here. I fly on our planes regularly with my family. My mother is traveling this weekend as a matter of fact. I also happen to work in the Maintenance department. I hope everyone can get the full facts before spewing, because honestly, alot of what I have read has nothing to do with facts. It is alot of statements about things that most people don't understand. And remember, the media likes to put a spin on alot of things. These items were not overlooked, and at no time were our planes unsafe. Don't you think if the FAA thought we were unsafe to fly they would have grounded our fleet? Of course they would have.
Also, missing just one piece of paper, or a signature that you need to fly a plane can consider your aircraft "unairworthy"....that has nothing to do with the plane itself or the condition of it. So please, don't jump to alot of conclusions without knowing all of the facts. And as stated before, SAFETY truly is our number one priority! I am proud to be an Employee of SWA!

I'm sticking with Southwest. I trust these guys.

This was obviously mismanagement by SW, but I do agree that it was probably not as serious, in terms of risk to the passenger, just because no planes were ever grounded by the FAA. Definitely though, it will make me think twice before choosing my next flight.

I love the people that threaten to take away their business. Just wait until Southwest has the lowest fare for their next trip and I'm sure they'll be on board. I would happily board a Southwest aircraft any day. They did the right thing by bringing light to the problem and going to the FAA about it last year rather than just hope no one finds out about it.

Just to remind everyone, this is what happens when stress cracks are not taken care of on 737s:

http://www.aloha.net/~icarus/

What about those Rudders?

SW! Inspections are key....
You have a big PR problem.....
and it is an election year, good luck

DALLAS--March 6, 2007--Receipt of the FAA letter of penalty gives us the chance to present our case and get the facts out which we feel will support our actions taken back in March 2007. We understand the FAA's concerns, and we are anxious to work with them. We assure our Customers that this was never a safety of flight issue.

The FAA penalty is related to one of many routine and redundant inspections on our aircraft fleet involving an extremely small area in one of the many overlapping inspections. These inspections were designed to detect early signs of skin cracking.

Southwest Airlines discovered the missed inspection area, disclosed it to the FAA, and promptly reinspected all potentially affected aircraft in March 2007. The FAA approved our actions and considered the matter closed as of April 2007. The Boeing Company supports Southwest's aggressive compliance plan was technically valid, and in Boeing's opinion, Southwest acted responsibly and the safety of the fleet was not compromised.

Southwest has an excellent maintenance program, with more Boeing 737 aircraft experience than any carrier in the world. Our experience has helped improve the overall safety of the fleet.

Boeing Statement on Southwest 737 Fleet Safety
Southwest Airlines contacted Boeing for verification of their technical opinion that the continued operation of their Classic 737s, for up to ten days until the airplanes could be reinspected, did not pose a safety of flight issue. Based on a thorough review of many factors, including fleet history and test data, as well as other inspections and maintenance previously incorporated, Boeing concluded the 10-day compliance plan was technically valid. In Boeing's opinion, the safety of the Southwest fleet was not compromised.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things are getting heated. Everyone breathe.

It's very hard to take this statement seriously when it seems to be in complete contradiction of the facts released.

For someone who is already afraid of flying, it's horrifying that you can so easily put our lives at risk. Supposedly "minor" problems can result in the death of many, many people. As passengers, we assume that the airline we fly takes as many precautions as possible with our lives.

When I fly, and I do fly, I will go out of my way to avoid Southwest, and will encourage those I care about to do the same.

I have many Southwest Airlines credit cards and have a companion pass because I use my cards so much. I get a free ticket in the mail about every other month. I depend on this airline to keep me close to my family. Please take care of business because alot of lives depend on you. You are the best airline (not fancy but thats ok). Concerned in Texas

Hi,

Before we get overly emotional, let us run over a few facts... with background information that may help better understand the situation.

- Southwest Airlines has a maintenance program that is approved by the FAA, and that is regularly audited, and during the audits, the FAA did not find any discrepancy in the SWA maintenance program.

- Southwest Airlines (like any airline) has a routine review of procedures and processes, and in the course of one of these reviews, discovered that there was a discrepancy in the inspection coverage relating to fatigue cracks/damage.

- Following on from this review, Southwest launched corrective action, advising the FAA of the discrepancy, and identifying 46 aircraft that were non-compliant, thus requiring inspection of the affected area of discrepancy.

- ALL airlines have a risk evaluation process, and in accordance with the aircraft manufacturer (Boeing), Southwest cleared the affected aircraft for further cycles pending inspection.
Southwest carried out the inspections in under 8 days, which by aviation industry standards is extremely good performance, showing that the SWA maintenance organisation took the problem seriously and chose to action the issue immediately.

- The subsequent inspections discovered fatigue cracks on the affected area on 6 aircraft. Whilst this may seem a cause for concern, do not forget that the original FAA Airworthiness Directive requires inspections within 4,500 cycles.
If during these normal inspections fatigue cracks are detected, they could have started to occur well within the 4,500 cycles.
This presumably is why Boeing advised Southwest to clear the aircraft for a limited number of cycles pending inspection - because due to the location of the area and the design of the aircraft, Boeing knew that this would not represent a further risk to passengers.

The 46 aircraft flew in total 1451 cycles after the problem was identified - given the SWA utilisation of their aircraft, this is pretty normal.

The FAA penalty letter is in accordance with FAA regulations - technically SWA flew aircraft that did not meet the required inspection schedule.
However, the penalties imposed are subject to discussion. By carrying out a voluntary disclosure to the FAA, Southwest acted in the best interests of the air transport industry, as another operator with the same type of aircraft could potnetially have the same problem. With the FAA in the loop, those operators will have been advised to check their own maintenance schedules.

Imposing a hefty fine should be discussed, as this may discourage other operators from voluntarily disclosing maintenance oversights that could be critical to other operators. The FAA will debate this issue with SWA as well as the Boeing Company.

In relation to a comment made that "this is the worst violation that the FAA has ever seen", this comment would be incorrect, as this comment would apply to another operator who about 15 years ago cut costs by not carrying out essential maintenance, and modified/falsified maintenance records, resulting in a fatal accident. That operator is still flying today (with new management!), and the FAA have put measures in place to prevent such a repeat accident.

Working in the aerospace industry, I can assure you that there is nothing extraordinary in what Southwest has undergone.

Recently, an airline discovered what could be a potential problem with their aircraft engines. Their national authority (the equivalent of the FAA) and the engine manufacturer cleared their aircraft for further limited cycles pending a mandatory inspection of all engines in the fleet, with no adverse impact on safety.
The risks were evaluated, and it was (correctly) identified that the aircraft did not present a threat to the safety of passengers.

Southwest is still the best airline, with a fantastic maintenance structure that is very much a benchmark for the industry, and a dispatch and reliability rate that very few other operators can match.
As well, Southwest have never been reluctant to invest heavily in their fleet, and therefore, as before, I will board a Southwest flight with no particular worries on my mind.

And to all you regular travellers out there, if when you board an aircraft you spot something that gives you a concern, feel free to (politely) advise the crew. They are there for your safety as well as your comfort, and will be able to advise as to wether or not there is a real problem.

Raphael
:o)

hmm...Southwest insiders post here much?
thx for mocking your own customers - that'll really bring 'em back!
"John" - you lack any logical argument so might as well plug your hole.

I was really socked and disappointed to hear that SW has been putting profit and schedule ahead of passenger safety. I have been flying SW weekly the past 2 years for work. I am seriously considering never flying SW , until they can gain my trust again. The safety issue needs to be addressed very soon for the good of the company and the peace of minds of their customers !

While we have read a great deal of inflammatory stuff here, the mis-characterization of what has happened, both in the press and in "blogs," is stunning.

Southwest *could* have "pencil-whipped" its maintenance records, reflecting on paper compliance with inspection requirements- but half-measures are not in Southwest's business practices. They found it, and they self-reported.

Of greatest consequence, of course, is flight safety, and in this, Southwest has proven it is the best, without peer, in the history of scheduled air carriers. Note well: safety and reliable dispatch are linked at the hip, and Southwest's proactive maintenance policies are models for the industry, worldwide. They don't fly dangerous aircraft, for the simple reason that there is no motive to do so, and every motive not to.

In addition, of course, Southwest's corporate culture rewards best practices- if any pilot, mechanic or dispatcher had ever had cause to believe an aircraft was in any way unsafe, that plane would not have flown.

The Internet allows "posters" a great deal of freedom, through anonymity; from the volume of vitriol I see spewed here, I imagine a pretty good number of the negative postings we are seeing here are by teen-aged fanboys of other carriers, or maybe even actual employees of other carriers. I write as a pilot (non-professional) and frequent user of airlines, including Southwest, and I have reasonable knowledge of how SWA operates. My confidence in Southwest and, most importantly, in the professionalism and commitment of its people (and the freedom those people are given, by the company, to conduct safe operations) remains unshaken, and I will fly them anytime, without hesitation.

Shame on you...you put not only your passengers at risk but your "valued" employees as well. You tout your employees being like "family" -- but you put your "family" on potentially unsafe aircraft without second thought. This should be a real turning point in employee relations at Southwest Airlines. Missed inspections by up to 2 1/2 years is criminal and your airline needs to be dealt with as such.

I have been a Company Club/Rapid Reward member for over 20 years and GUARANTEE YOU that I have flow Southwest for the last time.

I am certainly glad that your blatant disregard for safety and FAA directives has come to light, and claims of having "self reported" are no excuse -- you "self reported" because you knew this was all about to hit the fan. Why didn't you "self report" 30 months ago? To say your maintenance oversight is sloppy would be a gross understatement, and it will be interesting to see as details continue to emerge just how many senior managers and executives were aware of these situations, and for how long...

[...] says We assure you that this issue never compromised the safety of our fleet. As you can see, there is a lot of conflicting information out there. What we do know is that [...]

I dispise flying. I do it because I have to. Its certainly disheartening to hear that an airline that you had trust and loyalty in is knowingly violating the public's trust. Indeed, the FAA is certainly to blame. Inspectors who highlight problems should not be punished they should be given awards for their brave attitude to go against industry and supervisor pressures. In saying this, I am certain that SWA is not the only airline that knowingly puts their maintainence on hold for a period as to not disrupt flight schedules. I have been on a number of aging aircraft, including SWA, United, AA, US Air. They have had broken ceiling panels, broken lavs, broken overhead bins and on and on and on.

Airlines have been cutting costs because it is almost nearly impossible to be profitable. SWA has made its profits in the past and been allowed to offer cheaper fares due to their hedging of gasoline. (basically locking in a price early as to avoid the rising costs of fuel). I'm not sure where the hedging agreement stands, however with the inability to be profitable and airline starting to cut costs, the airlines will need to make a decision as to whether they will continue to skimp on employees salaries and maintenance or whether these costs will once again be passed on to the consumer. I guarantee you that you will see these costs passed on to the consumer once again.

Regardless, until we can move beyond the bureacracy of federal agencies and beyond corporate greed, we will not see a solution. Its upsetting, but true.

One side question: Why is it the same price to fly from WDC to Boston as it is to fly from WDC to LA?

I fly Southwest for at least 5 roundtrips every year and used to fly United as much and I can say that Southwest's 737s were in vastly better condition than United's both on the exterior and interior. I believe Southwest and will fly them as often if not more often than I do now. Southwest has a nearly impeccable saftety record and won't let media sensationalism get in the way of that.

I have been using Southwest for over 6 years now for business and I also use Southwest to fly my unaccompained minor duahgter to vist her mom. Reading the article made me very upset and sad to even think of what could of happend over the years by Southwests lack of action. Do we know the turth? Sure their are two sides to every story. I believe that consumer confidence in Southwest is lost on many fronts. My expectations of being a customer is for Southwest to fix ALL problems asked of by the FAA no matter how much it disrupts their daily operation or how much it costs. God forbid their company was faced with a loss of life situation invloving a plane crash and their knew about the problem and could have prevented it. I believe Southwest means well but some aspects of their operation involving their "proactive" manitance were caught with their pants down! They used the system to keep their planes moving and push back any corrective action for profit. Same on Southwest! As for the FAA, the governing body we the public look to to enforce our public safety over these carries, Same on you! We the public are not asking for extensions for these issues to be fix. Accroding to the CNN article Rep. James Oberstar D-Minnesota was quoted saying "When an aircraft is flying out of compliance with airworthiness directives, it is to be shut down and brough in for maintenance inspection. That's the law." I believe Southwest should be punished where it hurts in the pocket book and for the loyal flyers to fly other airlines. Also I believe that the public opinion is going to hurt Southwest and no matter how low the internet specials go this "black eye" will remain forever! I would expect the FAA to honor the wise old saying......."Nothing rolls better then a head!" To clean house and put things in place to enusre this never happens again! I turly believe Southwest would not want to hear the popular "DING!" being played as the entrance music for a funeral persession. I hope that they will learn their lesson be proactive and have higher standards then what the FAA puts forth. My daughters life as well as mine is worth way more then your profits. NEWS Article 5 years from now = "Southwest is still leading the industry with the most number of people traveled and their are happy to report this year the company only lost 5 planes this year as compared to 7 last year due to craks in the fueslage!" Southwest if you take care of the little things in life or your business their BIG issues will not develop!

Unless some bombshell evidence arises that proves that SWA actively planned to skip neccesary safety inspections, or covered up that failure, I will continue to be a loyal customer.

I am sorry to hear people declaring their knee-jerk declaration that they will never fly SWA again. But then again that just means I will have a few more seats to choose from next flight!

Why do you believe Boeing would say anything different. Do you believe they are going to say that they have built a defective product? That their product cannot go longer for inspection? Boeing has nothing to do with the implementation of the AD. Boeing may have helped come up with it, but they do not institute it. When the FAA set the AD, it did with the probable advise of Boeing. But, Boeing is not the authority to allow extra time. Plus, extra time on top of what, several months.

To those of you who claim to be in the know, the inspection time frames are there for a reason. Whether it be 100 hours, 400 hours or 4500 cycles, they are in place due to a study of the appearance of a defect within that time frame. The inspections are not designed to identify a catastrophic failure, but instead are designed to identify the warning signs of a coming failure. In this case the eddy current tests are designed to see things that you cannot see with the naked eye. The defect is there, you just can't see it. However, with the right load, the defect makes itself known, and the rudder is lost, the fuselage is lost, the wings fissure, etc.

If you really do your homework, you will see that a large number of catastrophic incident have dealt with some sort of failure with inspections and or maintenance, and a mistake or failure to follow the requirements.

You have been my preferred airline since the first day you started to fly out of San Diego, CA. So you can understand my shock at the news reports about the safety issues with some of your airplanes. I've read your version of the events and hope you are being truthful, however, my confidence HAS been shaken. I have a free flight award as I write this and I'm sure at some point I will use it, but I will definately say a prayer before I board.

Lindbergh, Gotta Love a Smart ASS!

It borders on irresponsible for Congressman Oberstar to claim such a serious breach of trust and safety by Southwest. The internal investigation will uncover true FACTS, which in this case are often manipulated when airline technical issues are discussed by the media and non-industry folks who lack a good understanding of how the industry actually works.

Aircraft maintenance issues which may seem catastrophically serious by the general public are often minor oversights and compliance issues which weren't 100% adhered to....in other words....paperwork issues.

This is why formal investigations are launched however....so that the actual FACTS are understood and subsequently dealt with. Only then should the media report the findings. Sadly, by then, the media may have latched onto the next juicy headline, leaving the airline to clean up the mess.

I don't believe you SWA. It's cheaper to pay the fine than to park 46 Airplanes. That's the real reason you kept flying those 46 Aircraft. You operated over 1400 flights AFTER you discovered the mistake. Safety inspection deadlines are in place for a reason. And Boeing had no right backing you up. How did they know there weren't any cracks????

Horray for SWA

BTW, as an aircraft mechanic of nearly 19 years, I can assure you that "cracks" on an airplane structure are not exclusive to Southwest, and there are thoroughly researched and engineered methods of dealing with them. The scope of the entire aircraft maintenance process is much more comprehensive and scientific than politicians and the media would have you believe.

Let the facts be told.

As usual, the media, in their infinite wisdom, has the tendency to blow things out of porportion under the guise of "unbiased" reporting!!!!!! Man, talk about cerebral impotence. To all of you so-called experts who "have the facts", did you do your homework? In case you didn't notice, Southwest Airlines has an impeccable safety record. The best you can come up with is what amounts to something you got from watching TMZ!!!!! People like yourselves are the reason for sex (I'm not talking about using padded headboards and fluffy handcuffs either)!!!!!!!! The media did the same thing with the B-52 incident involving the flight with nuclear weapons from North Dakota to Louisiana. They didn't get their facts straight. As a result, 70 people faced sanctions ranging from losing a promotion to being relieved of command. A few of them, I knew personally. Bottom line, people. Before you begin expounding about things which you have have no clue about, pause and think.
Get ALL the facts first. If you dare to challenge this logic with the temporal audacity that some of you have displayed in your comments, then my statement regarding cerebral impotence and safe sex stands!!!!

Paperwork!!!! SWA, get your paperwork in order, do all your deferred maintenance, pay your FAA fine and get all of your planes fixed and inspected now!

Your low bid, third-party maintenance contractors are the problem!!! Clean house now and mea culpas out the wazzo in the press before the flying public moves back to, god forbid, USAir!

Geeeeezzzz SWA, are you all asleep over there? This isn't rocket science, just good management.

Promote Hoot Gibson to CEO before someone gets hurt.

As a Flight Attendant for Southwest Airlines, I would like to add my two peanuts worth, so to speak. I have been with the Company for fourteen and a half years, and I have never hesitated to step aboard one of our flights, either as a working crew member or as passenger hitching a ride from here to there. As Flight Attendants, we are trained to ensure a SAFE and comfortable flight for our Customers with SAFETY being our number one priority. We are encouraged to raise concerns if something appears out of the ordinary, even if it seems to be Ã

Paula, please tell us how you know the inspections were done? Were you there and watched them all? No you weren't. You're job was to write that little blog entry, and press release. You are PAID by the company to write what they TELL you to write. You are a liar and as much as a shame on the human race as Bush.

Newsflash - MARTIANS ARE SPOTTED ON MARS!

I think there are some people on this blog that actually BELIEVE those headlines! The media is a very smart engine and they can help you believe whatever they want you to.

Let's stick to the facts people. I own stock in this airline and I want that stock to go UP not down.

I am very concerned as a Southwest customer and stock holder. The person in charge of your flight safety department needs to be fired today. Evaluate each and every area having to do with safety. Get the lowest level person in each safety department and get the scoop on whats going on. They usually see the most and say the least. This is a wake up call for a great company.

Note to Bobby: I, like Tamra, am an employee of Southwest Airlines, and if you knew me, you would know that nobody tells me what to say or what to write. I work in Customer Service, but I flew on our airline twice this week (for pleasure--AFTER the ''big news'' broke) on 2 different, almost-full planes loaded with our typical customers--happy, fun-loving, confident and intelligent. These people will continue to fly SWA and we will continue to enjoy many more fun and prosperous years like the last 36! And to those of you who are afraid, well, you have the freedom to fly on any other airline you choose, but keep in mind that you will be boarding a plane that has a safety record inferior to that of SWA's. The other 95.9+ million passengers and I will miss ya!

Wow.

I think that this situation is indicative of a serious problem with our American culture today. This is an example of why parents have a hard time explaining to their kids why you should do the right thing. "Johnny, YOU need to tell your teacher that you were the one who wrote on the wall. It will be better for you in the long run." "But Mom, when SWA did the right thing and self-disclosed to the FAA, it wasn't better for them." "Johnny, eat your spinach, and now I'm going to take away the next $10,000,000 of your allowance." Johnny is now thinking that he should have just kept his mouth shut.

And this all happened last year...so why quit flying now.
And I do not fly any other airline domestically and will not fly any other airline domestically in the future.
And SWA started life with a legislative attempt to run them out of business...that experience should help them overcome this witch hunt.
And I do not own SWA stock. I do not work for SWA nor any of their vendors.
And if this was a "normal" corporate site many of the previous comments would never see the light of a computer screen.

Not even a month ago the FAA considered this issue resolved. Days before they were to be taken behind the woodshed by Oberstar's committee, they panic, pull a ridiculous dollar amount out of thin air and demand that Southwest pay it. This entire kerfuffle is nothing more than a political game, and Southwest is the FAA's pawn.

I'm not surprised by a lot of the comments below that have already formed an opinion based on knowing half the facts. Lack of education and little common sense normally leads to the "burn the witches" mentality.

The fact that SWA let's people rant on their blog without editing just shows how committed they are to complete transparency. (Open and honest communication, no frills, LUV...)

Get it?

John states that Southwest have never had a plane crash. While their safety record is excellent that statement is not true. They have had two crashes, though it is true that no-one on board a Southwest plane has died in a crash. John's statement should be corrected out of respect for the child killed when a Southwest plane crashed at Chicago Midway.

Kudos to Southwest for allowing an open debate on the blog. However, surely someone should be dismissed to prove that the same situation won't be allowed to happen again?

Nick, I consider those more as incidents than a plane crash. In my book, a plane crash is when you leave a hole in the earth or fall short of the runway. Both incidents at MDW and at BUR were they landed on the runway, but they went through the barrier and ended up outside the airport boundaries.

Well, well well. Funny how the idiots in America flock to the internet to post mostly uninformed comments when there's a story of this nature. The dumbest of them can't spell, can't use proper grammar, and know almost nothing about punctuation. They're like reading a whole other language and yet they're out there pounding their chests and perpetuating as much shame and disdain as their little narrow minds can muster in as many badly written sentences as their short attention spans can produce. It's not difficult to read threads like this and truly understand the ever-more shrinking intellect of the American public, it's sad that there are such a large number of you that are born-again victims of anything and everything you can dig up and wear like coats of armor.

It amazes me how you listen to one side of an issue and close your mind to the counterpoints. This is nothing more than a clerical error with an idiot Congressmen chasing parked cars making as big a stink about it as he can to justify his useless existence. This is far from the kind of issue that was discovered when Alaska Airlines maintenance consciously put aircraft back in service with severe mechanical deficiencies all those years ago.

For the record I remember a story several years ago about an FAA directive that came out on the 737 where some wiring in the left wing had to be re-routed due to chaffing. The FAA gave the airlines 18 months to cure the problem, Southwest reported in that the entire fleet had been repaired in less than 90 days.

Now if this Congressional idiot pushes the issue far enough to really do any good (And of course he won't) and the investigations go deep enough and to other airlines like United and Northwest for example, I'm confident you'll really find some problems that far exceed a clerical error. I fly Southwest almost exclusively due to their remarkable customer service, performance, and safety record. I know that a company that is run as well as Southwest (as few as there are) is so conscious of every facet of their business that there are few mistakes made relative to their size and the magnitude of their daily operation. They're handling, tracking and maintaining 500 + aircraft that are constantly moving all over the country and I would bet anything that the majority of the negative comments made by the mental midgets are by people that haven't changed the oil in their own car in the past year.

As far as I'm concerned Kudos as always to Southwest on a job consistently well done. I have no less confidence in your operations than I ever have, and the difference between those of us that speak as I do and those that are up in the clock tower shooting mentally deficient pot shots at SWA is, we're actually flying you, and they aren't. I would bet my last dollar on it.

I am truly disappointed with Southwest. I have been flying Southwest 25+ times per year for several years. But, I will no longer support an airline who knowingly and willingly put air travelers lives at risk. The kind of neglect that Southwest has demonstrated is appalling and inexcusable. Inexcusable, Southwest. Honestly, I don't know how some people sleep at night...

I would urge everyone to get their news about SWA from the media instead of a highly moderated blog filled with SWA fans.

Plain and simple...SOMEONE at Southwest knows what is going on here and that SOMEONE should also know if true, cutting corners sooner or later catches up with you. Fix the planes that are broken and videotape mechanics doing it...inspect the other planes and videotape mechanics doing it...order some new planes and put out a commercial saying your fares are staying put.

Oh, the drama!

Seriously, let's all calm down and stop allowing the news media to tell us what to think. All it takes is a red "Breaking News" headline flashing at the top of the screen to make us all stop in our tracks and wait breathlessly for the next scrap of information, even if it's half-true or poorly investigated.

SW's safety history is unparallelled. You're safer flying on a SWA plane than you are driving in your car to get to the airport. Do you really, truly believe that there's some great conspiracy to jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of SW's customers and employees?
Chill, people.

Hey, Chuck N....re. your comment about going to the media instead of a "highly moderated blog":
1. It seems that SWA is allowing all the negative comments to be posted here. In fact, there seem to be more of those type comments than supportive ones. Read 'em ALL, including the ones posted under "CEO on CNN."
2.Instead of the media, perhaps we should all check out the source documents...you REALLY trust the MEDIA?
3. To your point, and mine...go to SWAMedia, and click on the "Former NTSB Investigator" link. In my mind, that is the best summary of the situation by an actual EXPERT.
4.Speaking of the media, they are giving a politician (Oberstar) a chance to make hay in the limelight at the expense of SWA. 'Course SWA went through the ringer with a politician at the onset of their existence at the behest of other airlines. And it only took 30+ years to prove that Wright was wrong. Could history be repeating itself...SWA IS the only profitable airline. How embarrassing for the other carriers!

Feel free to check my other comment earlier in this thread, as well as my comment on the "CEO on CNN" post.

This not about Southwest, it's about a federal agency that is trying cover their tracks. Southwest did nothing wrong here in my eyes, the FAA is nothing but a political tool for Congressman Oberstar.

The real investigation that needs to happen is against the Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar which is who got all this negative publicity brought about in the media against Southwest Airlines.

Funny how when Northwest Airlines which is based out of Minnesota allowed ALL there aircraft mechanics to strike because the greedy management would not work with them on a fair contract, then they went and hired NON-skilled mechanics to maintain there aircraft, almost none of the maintenance problems they were having ever came out in the media, WHY IS THAT? Could it be because the Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar didn't think it was worth taking about since it was effecting the very AIrline that he has protected many other times before on other issues.

Southwest is be far the safest and best run airline in the WORLD, you don't earn a track record like they have by not doing things right.

The people that work for the media have one goal in mind and that is getting the highest RATINGS they can not nessacerally reporting the most accurate news.

I think many of us will be surprised when the full story comes out in the end, but then I dought it will ever make the news because it will show that Southwest was not at fault.

Why dont some of you people grow up and read get the facts straight for once.

37 years of flying without a maintenance related incident (crash or accident whatever you want to call it).

If Safety was not one of their top priorities why aren't these aircraft falling out of the sky?

To those of you making the posts about flying SWA for several years and now are considering flying someone else....if they were not safe I dont think you would be sitting in front of your computer typing on this blog.

Get real. A special thanks to the media for trying to think they know what the hell they're talking about.

Deny, deny, deny!! - That is Southwest's obvious strategy right now, regarding Southwest's irresponsibity towards their airline maintainence.
THE FACTS:
1. The FAA has fined Southwest 10 MILLION DOLLARS for violating safety regulations, in place to protect the flying public. 2. Southwest flew planes with thousands of passengers on them, AFTER Southwest KNEW that those planes were NOT compliant with FAA safety regulations!!
Bottom line: Southwest put REVENUE and PROFITS,
ahead of passenger safety.

3. Southwest has used the excuse that "Boeing said the planes were OK to fly" ... ARE YOU KIDDING??!! -
Since when does an opinion from Boeing, trump FAA Federal law and Federal safety regulations?
That's like a little kid getting in trouble for doing something wrong, and saying "But my friend said it was OK"

The Southwest executives have demonstrated that to them,
revenues and profits come first. And that the safety of their planes is secondary, to keeping those planes in the air.

James Oberstar is an under-achiever who has likely failed at everything he has attempted in life. But that makes him very qualified to join the other non-achievers in politics. Those who can, do. Those who can't, become politicians. Certainly not the brightest bulbs in the box are leading our country!
No, I am not a representative of Southwest Airlines......just a very satisfied customer.

An AD is published by the Aircraft Certific