Southwest Airlines faces FAA audit over safety incidents

Southwest Airlines Co. is facing enhanced scrutiny from US regulators over a series of recent flight safety incidents involving the carrier.

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an audit to review the events, Southwest said Tuesday. The carrier said it had already formed a team including airline leaders, pilot union members and the FAA to perform an “in-depth, data-driven analysis to identify any opportunities for improvement” in its safety management system.

The move underscores the heightened attention on airline safety this year, with headline-grabbing incidents from multiple carriers. The FAA in March launched a review of United Airlines Holdings Inc. following mishaps including an aircraft running off a Houston runway and a fuselage piece that fell off during a separate flight.

The FAA increased its oversight of Southwest to ensure the carrier is adhering to US safety regulations, the agency said in a statement. The duration of the review will be determined by safety, it said. 

Southwest has experienced a string of recent incidents, the most alarming of which saw a flight come within 400 feet of plunging into the ocean off Hawaii in April. No injuries were reported. Two other recent flights — one in June in Oklahoma City and one in July in Tampa, Florida — flew unusually low.

A Southwest plane took off from a closed airport runway in Portland, Maine, on June 25, and a May 25 flight from Phoenix to Oakland experienced an unusual rolling motion during flight. Federal safety regulators are trying to figure out when damage discovered after the flight to the plane’s rudder system occurred.

Southwest pilots should expect an increase in FAA checks and inspectors, including during training events, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association told members in a message Tuesday.

“This FAA announcement comes on the heels of several potential safety incidents at Southwest Airlines and a corresponding increase in publicity surrounding those events,” the union said.

Southwest’s shares fell 1.7% by the close of Tuesday trading in New York.