While mid-air emergencies caused by a skipped or glitching safety step inspired many a horror movie, occasionally system errors do have catastrophic consequences -- the most high-profile example was the two-year ban on flying the Boeing's (BA) 737 Max after a series of flight control system breakdowns caused the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes that killed 346 people.
Such instances are extremely rare in comparison to the millions of flights taking place in a year across the globe, high-profile incidents often lead to a preventative crackdown from airline regulators. At other times, airline mistakes or safety check negligence can come out during routine screenings.
At the start of this week, the Federal Aviation Administration alleged that the fourth-largest airline in the country removed a crucial fire warning safety check from planes that it used to transport passengers.
Don't Skip The Fire Safety Check
The regulator said that, between June 2018 to April 2021, United (UAL) conducted more than 100,000 flights on the Boeing 777 despite not having a replacement for the check.
The FAA proposes slapping the airline with a $1,149,306 civil fine over the situation.
"The inspection is required in the maintenance specifications manual," the FAA said in announcing the proposed fine. "The removal of the check resulted in United's failure to perform the required check and the operation of aircraft that did not meet airworthiness requirements."
United told media outlets that the fire safety check was performed automatically on a different system launched with a newer plane while the "safety of [their] flights was never in question." The airline also said that it "immediately" restarted doing the checks after getting called out by the FAA.
Now that the fine has been proposed, United has 30 days to pay, question or otherwise respond to the proposal. The airline further said that it will "respond accordingly" after reviewing the FAA's concerns in the given time frame.
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The FAA Also Has Its Sights On This Major Airline
While the $1.15 million number may seem high, it is a relatively common occurrence for airlines of United's size given constantly being under regulators' watch.
The FAA and the Department of Transportation are both currently conducting probes into a Southwest (LUV) system breakdown that stranded over 1 million passengers at airports across the country over the holidays last year.
At the time, the DOT called on the airline to fix the "unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays and reports of lack of prompt customer service" while the passengers left stranded are still waiting for responses and compensation from the airline.
The FAA itself was recently subject to criticism over its oversight efforts of the Southwest situation in a leaked report.
"About three-quarters of respondents said the culture in the FAA's Dallas-area office that oversees Southwest hasn’t improved in recent years, after concerns had been raised regarding its oversight of the airline, according to an internal November survey report," the Wall Street Journal reported based on obtained internal documents. "Some respondents questioned the office's commitment to safety."
As of Tuesday afternoon, shares of United were up nearly 36% from the start of the year at $50.37. At $35.86, Southwest shares are down 19.6% year-over-year but up 10% since the holiday breakdown scandal at the end of the year.
