FAA’s lax oversight of plane repair shops revealed in government audit
Skift Take
This government report found undertrained inspectors and a high ratio of work order errors, giving credence to fears surrounding FAA’s cost-cutting strategy of outsourcing plane repairs. Conversely, airline safety has never been better.
Oversight of aircraft repair stations by U.S. aviation regulators is marred by inspectors who haven’t been trained and a system that can’t identify the areas of highest risk, according to a government audit.
Independent repair shops, used increasingly by airlines trying to cut costs, couldn’t account for tools, document the training of their mechanics and prove work had been done properly, the report by the Transportation Department’s inspector general found today.
The report is the latest by government auditors to raise questions about how the Federal Aviation Administration oversees repair shops in the U.S. and other nations. Inspector General Calvin Scovel and his predecessor raised similar issues in reports in 2003 and 2008.
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