Watchdog finds flaws in FAA oversight of American Airlines

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — A government watchdog says federal regulators often fail to get to the bottom of maintenance issues at American Airlines. The inspector general for the Transportation Department reported Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration sometimes didn’t look deeper than accepting American’s explanation for the cause of maintenance issues. The inspector general says in one case, American flew a plane with a broken emergency-evacuation slide for nearly three years before telling the FAA because it didn’t give the matter the correct risk rating. The FAA says it agrees with many of the recommendations and is taking steps to address them. American Airlines says it’s proud of its safety record. American hasn’t had a fatal accident since November 2001.