The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to task over its inadequate handling of SkyWest Airlines’ maintenance oversight. A recent DOT audit revealed significant gaps in the FAA’s supervision, prompting the department to issue seven recommendations for improvement. SkyWest, the largest regional airline in the U.S., has been under the FAA’s watchful eye for over four years due to various maintenance violations. These include operating aircraft without necessary inspections, neglecting the upkeep of the minimum equipment list (MEL), and failing to respond promptly to information requests.
The DOT’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report highlighting the FAA’s ongoing struggle to address SkyWest’s maintenance issues, despite having resolved 26 out of 32 identified problems since 2021. The report criticized the FAA’s Certificate Management Office (CMO) for not adequately addressing SkyWest’s remote return-to-service maintenance practices. This method relies on centralized technicians in Utah to guide field maintenance, eliminating the need for on-site technicians. The CMO’s deviation from FAA guidance and high staff turnover have further compounded the issue, leading to communication breakdowns and a loss of institutional knowledge. Additionally, the FAA’s Safety Assurance System database was found lacking, as it doesn’t allow inspectors to fully document their actions, falling short of FAA standards.
The OIG report also highlighted several unresolved concerns with SkyWest’s operations, such as deferring MEL items, dispatching aircraft without proper inspections, and assigning maintenance tasks to pilots outside approved procedures. Despite FAA inspectors raising red flags, a comprehensive risk review wasn’t initiated for two years. Inspectors also faced challenges in accessing data, with SkyWest missing deadlines for over a quarter of the FAA’s information requests, causing delays of up to 120 days.
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Originally reported by Simple Flying Read More
