Whistleblowers hit Southwest, FAA for lax safety practices

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — Federal officials say Southwest Airlines and its pilots union have resisted some investigations into accidents and other incidents, and have pushed to close the matters quickly. The findings were disclosed Wednesday by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which represents federal whistleblowers. The whistleblowers accuse the Federal Aviation Administration of lax oversight of Southwest. In one case, the FAA cut short an investigation of a 2019 incident even though the agency determined that there was pilot error — the plane was damaged while trying to land in Connecticut. The FAA says Southwest and union officials sometimes resisted interviews with agency representatives.