Sothwest Airlines? Worst Safety?

Question

My grandma was telling me she would never fly Southwest again because they have the worst safety and worst maintenance department. Is this true? All I've heard is the opposite. And also, what really happened with the FAA fining Southwest a few weeks ago. I don't get it.

Answer 1

Your granmother is reacting rather strongly to a recent news story. Soutwest is an exellent airline. They have had a problem with inspections not being done on time, but the aircraft always pass their inspections. This is because they in fact have an exellent maintenace program.  All airlines have problems, but Southwest still has one of the best records.

Answer 2

No Southwest passenger has ever died because of a Southwest airline accident.  One kid did die when a Southwest plane skidded off the runway, through a fence, and into the street.  From those numbers, the airline is safe.

The airline was in the news because it got a big fine for safety violations.  This isn't good.

I believe that Southwest is safe in comparison with other airlines in the US and worldwide.  I don't think there's a rational reason to avoid Southwest but if it makes you feel better, consider a different airline.  I would consider an airline that does quite a bit of maintenance themselves because then there are people who know what to do.  Airlines that send out all their maintenance might not have experts who work there (just my opinion).  Airlines like that include Skybus.  The major airlines, like Northwest, Continental, Southwest all fix a lot of stuff themselves.

Answer 3

Southwest Airlines has a great Safety record, and I would fly with them anytime.

Answer 4

Southwest has one of the best records in terms of fatalities.  It doesn't get much better than 0.

http://www.airsafe.com/airline.htm

As far as the maintenance issue goes, the short version is that neither Southwest nor the FAA inspectors were providing adequate oversight of outsourced maintenance.  Although they were in violation of regulations, the safety risk was apparently not all that great, as even Boeing was willing to say that it was not a big deal.

Answer 5

Tell your grandma that SWA is incredibly safe.  In fact, the maintenance is borderline anal on keeping MEL's out of the aircraft.

   Here's the Paul Harvey:

The inspections that SWA missed were true indeed.  They missed inspecting 6 aircraft.  They grounded 38 more because the paperwork was not completed properly so SWA grounded them to put the paperwork in order.  Late in 2006, SWA switched from a analog maintenance monitoring program to a digital, automated monitoring system.  6 jets popped as missing the inspections.  SWA immediately self-disclosed to the FAA and called a meeting with the Feds and Boeing.  Boeing and the FAA AGREED that SWA had 10 days to rectify the problem.  SWA completed the inspections in 8 days and considered the matter closed in March of 2007.  That was until a disgruntled Fed was fired and said SWA flew those aircraft on during the 10 day inspection period.  True statement but SWA was never told they couldn't fly the aircraft.  The fine is for the 8 days that SWA flew the aircraft before inspection.  Here's the kicker.  The inspection that everyone talks about was ORIGINALLY created by SWA, recommended to Boeing and approved by the FAA.  Why?  Because SWA is the model manager for the 737 fleet WORLDWIDE.  In other words, they are hammering SWA for the inspection that SWA created for safety in the first place.  Ironic.

   BTW, SWA has never had an accident only two incidents.  The incident in Chicago where the aircraft slid off the runway found that the pilots were not in error.  Midway airport and the FAA took the hit for that one.  Regardless, a little boy died that night.

BTW, Southwest Airlines DOES not outsource its maintenance outside the United States.  Structural maintenance is done by contractors to Boeing.  SWA contracts with Boeing.  A SWA maintenance representative is assigned to the company to insure SWA interests are met.

Answer 6

There were no safety incidents that resulted from flying the inspected planes, officials said.

But Oberstar said Southwest had "systematic flaws" in monitoring inspections required by the government, and asserted a certain complacency at the "highest levels" of FAA management.

And there are two other investigations of possible lapses at Southwest.

Senior FAA officials are investigating a potential safety issue that they will not disclose and, separately, Oberstar said the airline may have failed to complete mandatory rudder inspections on 70 planes.

Southwest has one of the best safety records. ONE plane crash with only one fatality. The news's makes a big deal out of everything. their perfectly safe.

Federal regulators said Thursday they will seek a civil penalty of $10.2 million — the largest ever — against Southwest Airlines Co. for failing to inspect older planes for cracks and then flying them before inspections were done

The FAA wants 10.2 billion dollars. that's absurd.