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A26 U.S. NEWS
Monday 10 august 2020
FAA employees who oversee airplane makers report pressure

By DAVID KOENIG ployees in the FAA's avia-
AP Airlines Writer tion safety group and 25%
Federal employees over- responded. FAA employ-
seeing Boeing and other ees and managers in the
aircraft makers say they survey and focus groups,
face pressure from the who were not identified
companies and fear retri- by name, reported strong
bution from their own boss- pressure from industry "to
es if they raise too many find win-win solutions that
safety concerns, accord- benefit industry." They said
ing to a survey of the work- companies will complain
ers that was delivered to to FAA senior leaders or
Congress on Friday. Congress if they think that
Many of the Federal Avia- agency safety employees
tion Administration employ- are getting in their way, ac-
ees surveyed said they be- cording to the report.
lieve that agency manag- The report portrays a situ-
ers are too concerned with ation in which FAA head-
the industry's objectives quarters staff believes that
and aren't held account- it has a strong commit-
able for decisions about ment to safety. However,
safety. One FAA employee the report said, many em-
said companies will say ployees in the field believe
they will lose money if the This June 19, 2015, file photo, shows the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation their top leaders "are overly
FAA doesn't certify its plane Administration building in Washington. concerned with achieving
fast enough. Another said Associated Press the business-oriented out-
the message to FAA work- rolling over for industry," the agency's aviation safe- survey. The report said em- comes of industry stake-
ers is, "'Don't rock the boat' said Rep. Peter DeFazio, ty organization. "It is com- ployees perceive him to holders and are not held
with Boeing." D-Ore., chairman of the pletely unacceptable that be demonstrating a com- accountable for safety-re-
The summary and com- House Transportation Com- there are employees who mitment to safety. It cited lated decisions."
ments were contained in a mittee. "That's especially lack confidence that their a video in which Dickson Employees also said that
private company's report, disturbing to see when it safety concerns are taken pushed back against com- management of the avia-
dated in February, on the comes to Boeing, which, seriously." ments by Boeing officials tion safety organization
safety culture at the FAA. as we know now, pushed Dickson promised changes that were seen as pressur- within the FAA doesn't back
The FAA faces scrutiny from a plane through a broken including creating a pro- ing the FAA to let the Max up front-line safety employ-
Congress over its approval regulatory process that re- gram to encourage FAA resume flying. ees strongly enough.
of the Boeing 737 Max, sulted in the deaths of 346 employees to report safety The FAA asked Mitre Corp. "There is a fallout of us not
which remains grounded innocent people." concerns. to conduct the survey and being able to do our job,"
after two deadly crashes FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, a former Delta Air report last year after the one employee said. "Acci-
less than five months apart. Dickson said the report Lines pilot and executive agency promised to im- dents happen and people
The report reflects "a dis- shows "that we have work who became FAA chief a prove its safety culture. get killed." The Mitre survey
turbing pattern of senior of- to do to address problems" year ago, was spared from Mitre said it sent surveys was reported earlier by
ficials at a Federal agency in the safety culture within the sharpest criticism in the to more than 7,000 em- Reuters.q

5.1-magnitude quake hits North Carolina, causes minor damage

SPARTA, N.C. (AP) — The a group of deer running. hurricane and an earth-
most powerful earthquake "Not even a minute passed quake in the same week
to hit North Carolina in and the side-to-side mo- is crazy." It was the largest
more than 100 years shook tion started," Hull said. "It earthquake to hit the state
much of the state early takes you a minute to re- since 1916, when a magni-
Sunday, rattling homes, alize what's happening, tude 5.5 quake occurred
businesses and residents. and you just can't believe near Skyland, the weather
The National Weather Ser- it. Then it was over. It was service said.
vice in Greenville said the loud, like God was shaking The U.S. Geological Ser-
5.1-magnitude temblor a mountain at you, liter- vice said the quake's epi-
struck at 8:07 a.m., follow- ally." center was about 2.5 miles
ing a much smaller quake Karen Backer was in her (four kilometers) southeast
several hours earlier. Greensboro apartment of Sparta, just south of the
There were no reports of when she heard initially Virginia-North Carolina
injuries, but some minor mistook banging in her border. The USGS said the
structural damage was re- kitchen for her roommate. population in the affected
ported in Sparta, as well as "Nope, it was the cabinet region resides in structures
cracks in roads. Images on doors 'clinking' open and "that are resistant to earth-
social media also showed closed! My neighbors on quake shaking, though
items knocked off of gro- the other hand said they vulnerable structures exist."

Various items litter the floor of the 4 Brothers Store in Sparta, cery store shelves. felt our apartment build- The quake was felt in near-
N.C. after an earthquake shook much of North Carolina early Michael Hull was standing ing shaking," Backer said. by states including Vir-
Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. in his driveway at his home "Well, sadly, nothing sur- ginia, South Carolina and
Associated Press in Sparta when he noticed prises me in 2020, but a Tennessee.q