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As part of an exclusive CBS News survey, we met with about ten FAA inspectors across the country. Some have risked their work to denounce how they are told to neglect important problems.
Two Federal Aviation Administration inspectors – each with 10 years' experience with the FAA – say they have an urgent message to send to US travelers: "people's lives" could be at stake. They told CBS News that "the flying public must wake up" and that people must know that flying "is not as safe as it could be". Both asked to remain anonymous because they fear losing their job for speaking.
"It was reported to me that I had entered our database one day and the next morning they left," said one of them, Tony. Dokoupil, co-host of "CBS This Morning".
They say that FAA managers like them control pressure inspectors to ignore critical safety issues such as corrosion or ensure that suppliers are FAA compliant and take revenge if inspectors refuse to back down.
"I've been told to back off," an inspector said. "Airlines have contacted my management and asked them not to give me inspections at this airline."
The other inspector said he was punished "repeatedly" for finding a problem and reporting it. They are not the only ones: "It's very widespread".
A 2016 Inspector General's report echoes their concerns. It was found that another FAA inspector, Charles Banks, had been pressured to roll back an airline, before being punished by management. When contacted by CBS News, Banks confirmed that he had been punished by the FAA for reporting problems with Miami Air International.
Miami Air International is a charter service that has approximately 1,000 government contracts worth more than $ 200 million over the last five years. Earlier this month, one of his charters – carrying US military troops from Guantanamo Bay to Cuba – landed in Jacksonville, Florida. No one has died and the cause is not yet known. But it was not the first time the company had trouble transporting troops. In 2017, the airline had multiple problems with suppliers' fuel lines, issues that banks had reported in previous reports.
Banks told CBS News that he was still working as an FAA inspector but that he had been removed from his position with Miami Air International.
The same inspector, who said that people's lives were at stake, said that if the FAA was to serve the traveling public, it had in fact "heard from qualified airlines as customers, as stakeholders".
"I've also heard inspectors tell" my "airline about" our airline. "It's not my airline," they said.
In 2015, the FAA adopted a compliance program focused on "mutual cooperation" with airlines instead of a "traditional regulatory model focused on implementation".
When asked if the FAA was too comfortable with the airlines, the other inspector we talked to said, "I think they're getting closer to airlines, but management. Yes." The inspector said he believed there were airlines today that should be fined.
"Are there any airlines today that you think should be grounded?" Dokoupil asked.
"I think there are some airlines on which we have to look to get there," they said.
The FAA has refused CBS News' interview request, but told CBS News that it "has a comprehensive security oversight system that encourages the exchange of information. information to identify problems and guarantee their resolution ". The agency also wrote in a statement: "The US aviation system has an unprecedented safety record in history" with only one death occurring in the country in the last 10 years.
One of the inspectors said: "We are about to solve a problem … we are talking about a crash inside the US borders."
They both pointed to incidents such as Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes – both related to the US manufacturer Boeing, whose relations with the FAA are under consideration, as indicators of what could happen. They hope that what they said to CBS News will be an alarm bell.
"I'm here to make sure there's no blood on my hands."
Like the FAA, Miami Air International has declined our request for an interview. In a statement, he referred CBS News to the NTSB about the forced landing in Jacksonville and said he had put procedures in place to comply with the FAA's requirements.
Since the FAA implemented its compliance model, enforcement measures such as fines and penalties have been reduced by 70% between 2014 and 2017.
FAA Complete Statement:
"The FAA has a comprehensive security oversight system that encourages the sharing of information to identify problems and resolve them." This success is based on an environment in which all employees feel free and free to report what they consider to be significant security issues. We have worked hard to create a sustainable culture of security through an open and transparent exchange of information since the 90s. We have also put in place strong protection measures for launchers. Alert for any employee fearing retaliation for reporting security information. We encourage all aviation professionals who are afraid to disclose safety information to take advantage of this important program. The FAA is thoroughly investigating all telephone and whistleblower requests, and does not tolerate retaliation against those who report problems.
Additional context provided by the FAA:
• The US aviation system has an unprecedented safety record in history. Over the past decade, more than 7 billion passengers have flown 90 million US flights with just one death.
• Air carrier surveillance is not an activity that security inspectors perform on their own. We expect inspectors to consult with subject matter experts and their leaders to ensure that the decisions they make are correct and consistent across the aviation community. Disagreements can arise and are an integral part of any deliberation process. Any changes in initial inspector recommendations should be coordinated between the inspector, subject matter experts and officials.
• The FAA does not tolerate the behavior of executives described in the DOT Inspector General's report on the allegations of the Miami Air whistleblower. The agency took appropriate action in response to the findings of the report.
• The FAA conducts regular assessments to determine whether the agency's monitoring approach is interpreted and implemented correctly and consistently. The agency also organizes periodic monitoring trainings based on feedback from safety inspectors, managers and other stakeholders.
Miami Air International Full Declaration:
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