Some Dating Back Nine Years

Back in April, when FAA Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell (right) was facing lawmakers to answer for the missed FAA inspections at Southwest Airlines, he was asked by Senator Patty Murray of Washington state if there were any other airlines overdue for inspections. Sturgell answered that he wasn't aware of any at the time, but promised he'd look into it.

A few days later, he responded in a letter. The Wall Street Journal reports it has reviewed Sturgell's response, which admitted the FAA has failed to perform more than 100 recommended safety reviews at major airlines, some of which were due as long as nine years ago.

The thorough, five-year reviews of the airlines' own safety systems were made mandatory in 2007. The goal of the reviews -- which the Journal says cover dozens of aspects ranging from flight-crew training to deicing programs -- is to ensure that airlines have the right systems in place to identify potential hazards and deal appropriately with any they find.

While the missed reviews don't necessarily mean safety problems exist, Murray observed the Southwest case demonstrates the inspections matter.

"They are one of the best indicators of whether an airline has its act together when it comes to maintenance and safety compliance," she said. "Clearly, the FAA needs to bring more focus and leadership to meeting its own self-imposed deadlines."

The FAA has been working to reduce costs through the agency's Air Transportation Oversight System, or ATOS, which relies more on airline-provided data to monitor safety and maintenance procedures, and less on physical inspections. The five-year reviews are one measure to ensure accountability in the data the industry reports voluntarily.

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, the union which represents most FAA inspectors, has been fighting the move to fewer inspectors and more reliance on industry self-reporting. Union President Tom Brantley says ATOS is being misapplied.

"Rather than use ATOS as a tool to enhance its inspectors' ability to perform industry oversight, the FAA has instead allowed ATOS to be used as a way to shift the burden of oversight from the agency to the industry itself," Brantly said.

In his letter to Senator Murray disclosing the missed inspections, Sturgell acknowledged "inadequate resources" may have played a role.