DOT’s IG To Audit FAA Oversight of Flight Deck Safety

In light of last March’s Germanwings accident in which the first officer deliberately flew the aircraft into the mountains, as well as the March 2012 JetBlue incident in which that flight’s first officer locked the captain out of the cockpit because of the PIC’s erratic behavior, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has requested that the DOT Inspector General (IG) evaluate how the FAA oversees the security on the flight deck of commercial airlines in the U.S.

Specifically, the senator asked the IG to examine how the FAA, working in conjunction with the TSA, mitigates the risk of intentional pilot actions against the aircraft, aircrew and passengers, whether current aviation industry cockpit security and hiring standards are sufficient to ensure aviation safety and precisely what steps the FAA is taking to evaluate the psychological health of pilots. The senator also wants to know whether the FAA’s oversight of commercial airlines is sufficient to ensure cockpit security measures are implemented effectively. The IG audits are expected to begin before the end of this month.