Government Shutdown Means Airplane Safety Checks Are Suspended
Think it’s a problem that you can’t visit a national park or your favorite museum at the Smithsonian? How about passenger airplanes not getting safety inspections?
Due to the federal government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration has furloughed some 3,000 aviation safety inspectors, employees charged with making sure that aircraft operate safely and according to regulations.
“There is no one doing this job now,” says Kori Blalock Keller, spokesperson for Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, the union representing aviation safety inspectors.
Aviation safety inspectors examine commercial planes and their maintenance records, talk to pilots to flag any potential problems, and may even ride along in the cockpit to make sure that procedures are being followed. Some of these checks take place during ramp inspections, a mostly random but consistent program of boarding planes for inspection while they’re on layovers.
“A lot of times, our inspectors catch little things and correct them before that plane takes off again,” Blalock Keller says. “If there are problems, the planes stay on the ground.”
According to a statement by the FAA, its Aviation Safety Organization is currently operating with a staff of 310 out of approximately 7,000 employees nationwide. The 310 include “managers in all field offices who will monitor the system and call back employees as necessary. If the furlough extends longer than a few days, we will begin to recall as many as 2,500 employees back to work incrementally, including safety inspectors, engineers and technical support staff, depending on need.”
A separate FAA statement reads: “Safety is our top priority. The FAA continues to support President Obama’s FY2014 budget, and strongly believes that Congress should resolve the lapse in appropriations immediately.”
