FAA: Southwest not properly inspecting older jets
Bea Karnes
Federal regulators are going to seek a penalty of at least $3 million against Southwest Airlines for failing to inspect older planes for cracks.
A person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because no action has been announced says the Federal Aviation Administration could officially notify Southwest of actions against it today. The FAA is looking into Southwest's failure to do required inspections on some of its older Boeing 737s.
The planes are covered by an FAA safety directive for inspecting older aircraft for structural soundness. The aim of the program is to find and repair small cracks before they become a safety hazard.
The airline says it has complied with regulators' requests and will contest any fine.
