Northwest Airlines Failed To Follow FAA Safety Orders, Government Watchdog Confirms

WASHINGTON — A government watchdog has verified complaints by a federal inspector that Northwest Airlines wasn't following Federal Aviation Administration safety orders and wasn't being held accountable by the agency.

The report by the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General also says the status of the airline's compliance with more than 1,000 safety order remains unknown.

The report was completed in December and released Wednesday by the federal Office of Special Counsel, which handles whistle-blower complaints.

Northwest merged with Delta Airlines last year and now flies as Delta.

The report says the problem with complying with safety orders continued at least through the budget year ending Sept. 30, 2009.

Comments

[TRUTHDOG]

12:31 PM on 07/23/2010

The REAL Northwest Airlines passed away August 19, 2005.

[TeeFry]

10:20 PM on 07/23/2010

But it was always North-worst aka North-wurst as long as I can remember. They were bad before anybody else was bad. Now they all suck.

I once got a spider bite on my big toe flying from MSP to DFW. My toenail fell off 3 times before finally growing back.

[Cueball]

09:25 AM on 07/23/2010

I have 35 years of Airline flying experience as a transoceanic jet pilot. I can tell you the FAA inspection system is a joke. They hire minimally qualified people on the basis of cronyism, ex military pilots who have never flown commercially, people with extra points for veteran status, etc. The FAA depends almost totally on self reporting of errors and violations by the airlines. Thats like you calling the cops and telling them you've been speeding and driving a car with defective brakes.

[TeeFry]

10:14 PM on 07/23/2010

don't forget the hiring based on quotas. Gotta get that diversity bonus.

[Andy Manor]

02:59 AM on 07/23/2010

Northwest no longer flies anymore anyways. I also somewhat doubt that Delta will be fined because of this.

[FMC651]

01:18 AM on 07/23/2010

Northworst Airlines should just quit.

[leftpinkie]

06:03 AM on 07/23/2010

It did, it's no longer NWA since merging with Delta.

[Donns]

08:11 AM on 07/23/2010

The did and Delta is too big to take any guff from the FAA

[SoapBox37]

12:54 AM on 07/23/2010

Not a surprise. Depending the carrier and hub cities, the carriers usually have had the FAA wrapped around their fingers.

[Uosdwis]

12:31 AM on 07/23/2010

Picture looks a lot like the iconic scene in Airplane with the jumbo crashing through the terminal windows!

[bjbold]

12:17 AM on 07/23/2010

They did much of their maintenance outside the US after they took out their unionized AMFA mechanics. The corporate attitude once again.

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

12:03 PM on 07/23/2010

EEK! I didn't realize that. Very uncomforting thought.

[TRUTHDOG]

12:14 PM on 07/23/2010

They also did much of their maintenance at 3rd party maintenance sites within the U.S. Many of the employees were "impored" (contractors) from all over the world working under H1B work visas. Good people, but sadly lacking in experience. Also the American workers were usually 20 somethings with little experience. There are few people left in maintenance with experience as everyone is abandoning aviation as a career or is retired. It has been going steadily downhill since deregulation in 1978 and accelerated after 9/11 BIGTIME. Folks over 40 may actually remember when it was enjoyable to work for or fly on a U.S. flagged carrier. NOT TODAY !

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

04:31 PM on 07/23/2010

Yes, was it on here that I've been reading that airline pilots qualify for food stamps? That airline pilots only make about $19,000-22,000 nowadays? It once was a well-paid profession. Many people wanted to work for an airline, because the benefits were good. And you're right, it all started going downhill when airlines were deregulated. Even the air exchange inside the aircraft, and the seating changed, but by far the worse was conditions for employees. Such a pity!

[rjaxone]

11:08 PM on 07/22/2010

Federal Inspectors need to be cautioned about that little bag of complimentary almonds. It's enough to make one gag, especially if you swallow all three of em...

[ramper]

09:29 PM on 07/22/2010

Yet their safety record was as good as any of the major carriers. Zero fatal incidents during the period in question.

[ewj1]

10:36 PM on 07/22/2010

If death s the only criteria and not injuries is crazy. BTW, 8 people died on NWA planes in 2008, They died of various ailments, including heart attacks.

[ramper]

08:38 AM on 07/23/2010

And the other carriers had how many.

[HereinDC]

10:38 AM on 07/23/2010

Dieing elderly Philippiones living in the USA, fly back to their homeland to die.

NWA is the airline of choice and thus the elderly die on the plane on their way "home"

[maverick77]

11:01 PM on 07/22/2010

Well, do we know how compliant they are in comparison to the other airlines?

[NoElephants]

09:17 PM on 07/22/2010

There ya go again, the guvmint interfeerin' with private companies just trying to make a buck. Communists!

[fromfaraway]

02:40 AM on 07/23/2010

They are interfering for you safety.What a dummy.

[Andy Manor]

02:58 AM on 07/23/2010

I think he was being sarcastic.

[1differentdrummer]

05:31 AM on 07/23/2010

Exactly! What harm is there in a little barnstorming or flying by the seat of your pants? Besides, those Asian twelve-year-olds do a heck of a job of maintenance without being a lot of expense.

[AlwaysAnObie]

09:13 PM on 07/22/2010

There's a reason it's called Northworst.

[ChangeurMind]

09:07 PM on 07/22/2010

Not a problem.... with no regret Obama.

[RockiesRiter]

11:16 PM on 07/22/2010

Yawn.