Southwest Grounds 44 B737s

Forty-four Boeing planes were grounded "to determine whether they should go through further safety inspections." Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said Wednesday. Which, to me, sounds like a nice beat around the bush answer considering they will have to undergo further safety inspections as the aircraft have been flying past inspection dates.

No one will confirm whether the inspections will be on the fuselage or rudder, issues that have been raised by the FAA as areas of concern. The FAA has also said it may levy an 10+ million dollar fine on Southwest if it's found to have violated the federal aviation regulations. According to FAA documents provided to congressional investigators, in some cases, aircraft were operational 30 months past governmental inspection deadlines. Violation? hmm, maybe.

These 44 737s are not free to move about the country. Time for Southwest to get its wallet out.