Whisleblowers saying Southwest tried to put the kibosh on them, hide problems

Just when things couldn't get any worse for Southwest Airlines, CNN is now reporting that two FAA safety inspectors are claiming the beleaguered airline tried to hide its safety inspection problem and pressured the FAA to keep the inspectors out of their business. Even worse, when Bobby Boutris and Douglas Peters tried to tell their superiors at the FAA about the lack of compliance, nothing was done according to them. Boutris is claiming that the Southwest Airlines Airworthiness Compliance leader even requested that Boutris be removed from the inspection, a request the agency granted. I'm sure now, they'll wish they hadn't done this, or grown so lovey-dovey in their relationships with the airlines they are tasked to regulate.

Of course, Southwest doesn't want to comment on this, their newest faux pas in a round of stupid moves part and parcel to their impending sit down with a congressional panel in the House of Representatives today about these issues. Over at the FAA, however, acting administrator Bobby Sturgell is stepping up and gearing up for his lashings by commenting, "We had a breakdown in the system with Southwest Airlines. It was a two-way breakdown." He'll have a lot more to talk about along with Southwest's chairman, Southwest's CEO, Boutris, and Peters at the panel. The FAA is still pushing its $10.2 million on Southwest over this ordeal, but somehow I think Southwest won't be then only ones getting their peepees slapped on this one.

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