Summary
- Southwest mandates pilot training in Dallas HQ following repeated safety incidents this year.
- The FAA also acknowledges Southwest’s proactive approach as it faces several safety concerns.
- United Airlines is also under scrutiny by the FAA amid safety incidents.
Following several safety-related incidents, Southwest Airlines has been under the microscope this year, with the Federal Aviation Authority also scrutinizing the carrier’s procedures. And now, the airline has taken the initiative by calling all its pilots for additional training at its Dallas headquarters.
Additional training
Southwest Airlines
has mandated all its pilots to undergo additional training for which they will be called to its Dallas headquarters starting in November and continuing into next year. These will be one-day sessions that will also involve discussions among the cockpit crew about “specific events and working together as a flight crew to appropriately manage risks,” as mentioned in the memo accessed by Bloomberg.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
The carrier has seen multiple safety-related incidents this year and wants to address them by requiring its pilots to attend these sessions in Dallas. The memo further stated,
“Over the past few months, we have seen an increase in safety events … meaningful work is underway to address these events and advance our safety.”
The airline had formed a team including regulators, airline leaders, and pilot union members to investigate the matter even before the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) could begin its review.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker also acknowledged this. He said that Southwest’s latest decision is a “healthy sign” and that it has “tended to be in front of the issue as this has developed,” as reported by Bloomberg.
String of incidents
Southwest has been rocked by several incidents, many of which were quite similar in nature. The frequency of the near misses was enough for the FAA to take notice and launch a review in July.
In April, a Southwest 737 MAX 8 came within 400 feet of the ocean while attempting to land at Lihue Airport. The incident was attributed to pilot error by an inexperienced First Officer.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
In May, another Southwest 737 experienced a Dutch roll mid-flight but managed to land safely at its destination airport. An examination of the plane later revealed damage to the vertical stabilizer trailing edge ribs above and below the standby rudder power control unit (PCU).
In June, another one of the carrier’s planes descended to around 500 feet when it was still eight miles from the runway at Oklahoma City airport. Thankfully, Southwest seems to be taking the issues seriously and launching additional pilot training.
United inquiry is close to being completed
Southwest isn’t the only airline being scrutinized by the FAA this year. In March, it decided to increase its oversight of United Airlines following several incidents because of mechanical problems. The carrier has been involved in several incidents this year, including one in which a tire of its Boeing 777 plane fell off during takeoff.
However, that review is believed to be almost complete, with Whitaker commenting that “we haven’t found any significant concerns as we’ve gone through this.”
Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock
The FAA has been quite busy this year, as it also has Boeing’s issues to deal with. Following the midair blowout incident involving Alaska Airlines’ 737 MAX 9, the agency has restricted Boeing’s monthly MAX production, among other things, until it improves its manufacturing quality.