Story ID: 
Dickson's FAA Admin Nomination Comes Under Question
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: The Commerce Committee is reviewing a  legal complaint alleging moves on the part of Delta Air Lines management to retaliate against a pilot whistleblower.
Word Count: 336
Steve Dickson’s nomination to the FAA administrator post apparently has hit a stumbling block as the Senate Commerce Committee reviews reports regarding a legal complaint alleging moves on the part of Delta Air Lines management to retaliate against a pilot whistleblower who brought safety concerns to light. The moves allegedly took place while Dickson was senior v-p of flight operations for Delta.

“Since holding the nomination hearing with Mr. Dickson, new information has come to the committee’s attention that merits further examination. The committee has been reviewing this information and I have asked the Department of Transportation and the White House to do the same,” said Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), chairman of the Commerce Committee that has jurisdiction over the nomination.

The committee had not been aware of the complaint before holding a confirmation hearing last month and Dickson apparently did not report the legal action on the requisite confirmation questionnaire. Dickson is said to be fully cooperating with the committee but has kept quiet publicly. There is no timeline for the review by the committee but it is not anticipated to be lengthy.

However, outside industry groups wonder that even if Dickson is able to satisfy questions, the nomination may now be in danger of becoming mired in politics, particularly since the FAA is under intense scrutiny following the crashes of the 737 Max and the legal complaint involved reported safety concerns.

The complaint alleges that a pilot who raised safety questions to airline leadership was subsequently ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation that ultimately led to the loss of pilot privileges. Two subsequent evaluations disagreed with the initial evaluations and the pilot returned to duty. The complaint was filed against Delta Airlines, but it mentions Dickson’s involvement in receiving the safety concerns.

The White House announced its intention to nominate Dickson to the post in March, and the nomination initially had received rare support from nearly all corners of the industry.