The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident of the Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 and has information about this on its website. The NTSB has conducted more than 132,00 examinations of transportation calamities. The NTSB publishess accident reports that "provide details about the accident, analysis of factual data, conclusions and the probable cause of the accident, and the related safety recommendations." The Accident Reports are available on the NTSB website but take time to issue as a great deal of research needs to be conducted to piece together all of the data. An NTSB team was sent to Philadelphia, PA to examine Flight 1380's engine. The NTSB has a Response Operations Center that has contact information for reporting an incident or accident. Other information on their website includes safety advocacy and disaster assistance.
The National Transportation Safety Board is an agency under the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation has a mission to "Ensure our nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world; that improves that quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural to urban, and increases the productivity and competitiveness of American workers and businesses."
What happened?
According to CNN's article, "Southwest pilots righted plane quickly after engine failed," the flight left La Guardia airport at 10:27 a.m. The plane was bound for Dallas but was forced to perform an emergency landing in Philadelphia. The engine blew 20 minutes into the flight, and shrapnel broke a window of the plane. CNN reports that the passengers tried to fill the hole with jackets and other items, but the objects were sucked out the window. Jennifer Riordan, 43 year-old mother of two, was partially sucked out the window. Two men were able to pull her back into the cabin, where a nurse performed CPR on her for 20 minutes but sadly she did not survive. The CNN article, "NTSB: Engine in deadly Southwest jet incident missing a fan blade,"notes that investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board noticed that one of the 24 fan blades was missing and was showing sings of metal fatigue. Navy trained captain Tammie Joe Shults was able to safely land the plane.
Should we be concerned with the safety of Southwest Airlines?
Southwest Airlines has cancelled some flights in order to inspect engines in response to this tragic incident. The Chicago Tribune article, "Southwest Airlines has been faced with fines, union safety complaints," declares that Southwest Airlines "make more trips per day than other U.S. airliners, which adds to wear and tear on parts, including the engines." Questions have been raised concerning the safety measures of the airline. Many wonder if Southwest is pushing its planes too much, jeopardizing the safety of its passengers. Southwest Airlines makes on average 5.3 flights a day, compared to other airlines that make between 2.8 and 3.4 flights a day.
Southwest has experienced other hazardous situations. There have been two accounts where the roof of a plane has been torn open. In 2005, a Southwest jet skidded off the runway onto road, striking a car and killing a six year old boy. Furthermore, in 2016, an engine blew on a plane as it was flying over Florida.
So why have these incidents occurred?
The Chicago Tribune reported that Southwest Airlines has had to pay many fines to the Federal Aviation Administration due to the lack of inspections of airplane equipment. This article details the various episodes of improper inspections. In 2009, Southwest Airlines was fined because the company skipped the inspection of the fuselage for metal fatigue, and in 2014, they were fined for inaccurate fuselage repairs. In light of this recent event, Southwest Airlines is inspecting all fan blades.
Southwest Airline is not the only airline in trouble
On April 15th, 60 Minutes aired an episode highlighting the dangers of flying with Allegiant Air. Allegiant Air is a low-cost airline, however, 60 Minutes deemed it the most dangerous. CBS 60 Minutes found that "Public documents show an alarming number of aborted takeoffs, cabin pressure loss, emergency descents and unscheduled landings." Many believe that Allegiant Air is more concerned about profits than the safety of its passengers. The interview mentioned that the planes require a lot of maintenance but there are not enough mechanics to inspect the air crafts. The report stated that many of the Allegiant Air pilots are leery of addressing any issues, for fear of being terminated. This weariness is due to the termination of Captain Kinzer. On June 8,2015, an Allegiant plane left the St. Petersburg, Florida airport. A flight attendant informed Captain Kinzer that there was smoke in the cabin, so he turned the plane around to make an emergency landing. Once he landed, the fire rescue confirmed that there was smoke coming from the engine. Captain Kinzer made an executive decision to employ the emergency chutes to get the passengers to safety. This incident brought unwanted attention to the company and Kinzer was fired. 60 Minutes displays the termination letter, highlighting that Kinzer was laid off due to an "evacuation that was unwarranted." This event communicated the message that a pilot must perform regardless of the welfare of the passengers.
Allegiant Air fired back after 60 Minutes was aired. The CBS News article, "Allegiant Air responds to "60 Minutes" report," provides the official statement from the Allegiant Vice President of Operations. Eric Gunst stated, "It is unfortunate and disappointing that CBS 60 Minutes has chosen to air a false narrative about Allegiant and the FAA." Gunst declares that the airline follows safety procedures and regulations. However, many individuals are cautious of the airline now that this information has been made public.
For more information
The Federal Aviation Administration
This government agency provides information regarding air craft safety, rules and regulation, training and testing, data, research, air traffic, and licenses and certificates.
FAA Letter to CBS 60 Minutes
This letter responds to the concerns raised by CBS 60 Minutes regarding the safety and protocols of Allegiant Air.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Describes the role of this government agency and details the Subcommittee on Aviation.
~Emily Hancz
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