The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently said it would review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety oversight of Southwest Airlines’ systems for managing risk.
Southwest has had a series of mechanical issues over the past several years. Most recently, those mechanical issues included the April 17 failure of a Boeing 737 engine that killed one passenger and injured eight. Engine debris broke a passenger window and caused rapid depressurization.
The OIG said it is conducting an audit because the preliminary accident reports indicate a similar engine incident occurred on a Southwest flight in 2016. It is unclear what the carrier did to manage the risk and prevent future failure, the OIG said.
The OIG also cited a complaint citing deficiencies in pilot training at Southwest.
The complaint raises “concerns about FAA’s oversight of the carrier,” the OIG said. “Specifically, we are concerned whether FAA’s oversight includes an assessment of the carrier’s ability to identify hazards and analyze and mitigate risks.”
Under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 121, the FAA requires airlines to implement safety management systems.
A safety management system works by identifying safety hazards and mitigating risks.
In May, the OIG conducted an audit on the FAA investigated improper maintenance practices at American Airlines and Allegiant Air.