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George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster

Security Vulnerability Involving Airlines

OSC Finds Substantial Likelihood of National Security Vulnerability Involving Airlines

April 28, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tom Devine, GAP Legal Director
Phone: 202.408.0034, ext. 124
Email: tomd@whistleblower.org

Contact: Sarah Goldmann, GAP Staff Attorney
Phone: 202.408.0034, ext 141
Email: sarahg@whistleblower.org

OSC Finds Substantial Likelihood of National Security Vulnerability Involving Airlines
Recertification of Foreign-Resident Mechanics that Were Fraudulently Certified at Issue

(Washington, D.C.) – The Government Accountability Project (GAP) is commending the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) for recently ordering Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood to investigate a whistleblowing disclosure of “gross mismanagement, abuse of authority, and substantial and specific danger to public safety at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).”

GAP client Gabriel Bruno, former FAA Manager of the Orlando Flight Standards District Office, alleged in November 2007 that the FAA lacks a national security screening mechanism for certain mechanics that received fraudulent certificates from Anthony St. George, an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME), but have refused to, or failed to fully complete, a recertification program.

This failure creates a security vulnerability that leaves the aviation industry open to potential terrorist activity. The basis of Bruno’s national security disclosure was a list of these mechanics in question, which were fraudulently certified from 1995 to 1999. One such mechanic’s name on the list is the same name as a 9/11 hijacker, and 33 others share the same P.O. Box number in Saudi Arabia. Bruno further alleged that this failure to reexamine, screen, or account for the individuals who received fraudulent certificates creates a national security and public safety risk, as these individuals may currently be working for commercial airlines.

The OSC informed Bruno in a letter dated April 9, 2009 that it found that Bruno’s disclosure reveals a “substantial likelihood that serious safety concerns persist in the management and operation of the certification and management programs at FAA.”

This finding is the third of its kind by the OSC related to whistleblower disclosures by Bruno stemming from the FAA’s mishandling of the St. George Aviation recertification program. Bruno filed a disclosure in June 2002 that the FAA abruptly cancelled a program implemented to reexamine these individuals. The OSC later found, in 2007, that another disclosure by Bruno illustrated that the FAA does not have a system to identify the certification or reexamination status of St. George-certified mechanics who worked on airplanes, which were involved in accidents or incidents due to mechanical problems.

“Mr. Bruno’s whistleblower disclosure shows that the FAA not only certified incompetence but covered up a vulnerability to our national security,” stated Sarah Goldmann, GAP attorney. “Some of the individuals who received certificates are of close, extremely similar background to the 9/11 hijackers. This rightful OSC finding demands an answer from the federal government to a pressing question – How many of these individuals with known fraudulent certificates are safeguarding America’s flying fleet today?”

GAP Legal Director Tom Devine raised an even more basic question that Bruno hopes the investigation will answer: “Why didn’t the FAA try to find out for seven years after 9/11 whether terrorists were fraudulently certified as commercial airplane mechanics, until a whistleblower’s persistence sparked a good government agency’s order?”

Mr. Bruno stated, “The FAA never notified the FBI, or any national security agency about the list of names of foreign residents that obtained certificates from the St. George criminal enterprise. The FAA does not have the expertise or resources to investigate national security risks. This suppression of critical information leaves us all at risk to this day.”

Bruno, a 28 year FAA employee, was repeatedly harassed, forced into involuntarily retirement, and subjected to retaliatory investigations by the FAA because of his whistleblowing. Bruno provided written testimony about his disclosure to the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure for its April 3, 2008 hearing on the improper relationship between the FAA and the aviation industry that it is supposed to oversee.

Bruno, along with several other FAA whistleblowers covering all areas of FAA operations, recently formed the FAA Whistleblower Alliance – an independent organization whose aim is to bring attention to the need for FAA reform and stronger whistleblower protection laws.

The OSC ruling creates a structure for the FAA Administrator to base much-needed reforms on. Under the Whistleblower Protection Act, an OSC “substantial likelihood” determination triggers a process in which the DOT, which houses the FAA, is required to conduct an investigation of the allegations and report back to the Special Counsel. Bruno is allowed to comment on whether the DOT report adequately addresses his concerns. The OSC then makes another determination as to whether the DOT report has resolved the public safety issues, before forwarding the report and Bruno’s comments to President Obama and appropriate congressional oversight committees.

The OSC letter can be viewed on GAP’s website at http://www.whistleblower.org/doc/2008/brunoletter.pdf.

Government Accountability Project

The Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.

#####

Government Accountability Project • www.whistleblower.org
National Office
1612 K Street, NW Suite #1100
Washington, D.C. 20006
202.408.0034

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  • Home
  • About Air Flight Disaster
  • About George
  • Air Crash Consultants
  • Legal
    • FAA Reauthorization Act
    • FAA Reauthorization Summary
    • #MH370 Definition of Underwater Search Areas Dec 3
    • Proposals to Enhance Aircraft Tracking and Flight Data Recovery
    • Tarmac Delay Ruling
  • Missing
  • NTSB
    • NTSB Most Wanted
      • Reduce Dangers to Aircraft Flying in Icing Conditions
    • 9/11 Boatlift
    • Acton CA, Fatal BELL Crash Report Preliminary
    • Aeroflot Nord PERM-NTSB Report September 14, 2008
    • AERONAVES DE MEXICO Accident Report
    • Aeronaves de Mexico Safety Recommendation Letter
    • Air Methods Airbus Helicopter Frisco Crash July 3, 2015 Preliminary report
    • Airworthiness Information Bulletin SAIB SW-19-15
    • Buffalo- NTSB Report February 12, 2009
    • Definition of the Underwater Search Areas MH370
    • FAA Criticisms are nothing new: A history
    • GOL – NTSB Report September 29, 2006
    • Hudson River-NTSB EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Jan 15, 2009
    • ITEK-NTSB Report August 24, 2008
    • Lack of Consideration for Human Factors Led to In-Flight Breakup of SpaceShipTwo
    • NASA Controller Fatigue Assessment Report Q&A
    • NTSB is Beginning Investigation of the Sightseeing Plane Crash in Alaska
    • NTSB Preliminary of the Ketchikan Air Taxi cruise flight crash on June 25, 2015 that killed 9
    • NTSB Publishes Interpretation
    • NTSB Releases Preliminary Agenda for Investigative Hearing on WMATA Smoke and Electrical Arcing Accident
    • NTSB Update on British Airways Engine Fire at Las Vegas
    • October MH370 Update: AE-2014-054_MH370-FlightPathAnalysisUpdate.pdf
    • S7 Airlines (formerly Sibir) NTSB Report July 08, 2006
    • SAFETY Alert SA_045
    • Security Vulnerability Involving Airlines
    • Sikorsky Newfoundland -NTSB Report March 12, 2009
    • SPANAir-NTSB Report August 20, 2008
    • TAM NTSB Report July 17, 2007
    • Tony Tyler – 71ST Annual General Meeting
    • Transcripts
    • #MH17 Passenger Manifest
  • Reports
    • #MH370 2nd Interim Statement
    • #MH470 4th Interim Statement
    • 2014.10.04 Emirates A332 at Karachi breathing equipment catches fire
    • 2015-10-31 Interim Statement of Metrojet crash
    • 2016 MH370 Debris examination – update No. 4
    • 2016-05 Silk Way Airlines Camp Dwyer Preliminary Report
    • 2016.09.23: MH370 Debris Report
    • 7 March 2017 Laptop Battery Fire in Airliner Cabin Final report
    • AAIB Safety Report 2017
    • Air Bagan 25 DECEMBER 2012 Final report
    • B38M_PK-LQP_PRELIMINARY.pdf
    • B737-8 (MAX) Registered ET-AVJ Preliminary report
    • Boeing Max Prohibition
    • Capetown Incident Report Missing Cowling July 18 2014
    • Fed Ex Flight 910 Landing Gear Collapse DCA17MA022
    • Final of Noar Linhas Aéreas Flight 4896
    • Final Report G-EZGE Airbus Ibiza Airport Spain accident on 19 June 2016
    • Final report of AirAsia Flight QZ8501
    • Final Report of Germanwings Pilot Suicide Crash
    • Final Report on Ryanair B738 and Vueling A320 Near Collision in Sevilla
    • Final Report on Tatarstan B735 at Kazan on Nov 17th 2013
    • Final report: Runway Incursions Between the Parallel Runways at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Ontario
    • Final Report: Transasia AT72 at Makung on Jul 23rd 2014
    • Final: Smolensk “Severny” airdrome, to the Tupolev Tu-154M (pdf)
    • Final: Poland Tupolev Tu-154M (English PDF
    • FinalATR72 202OY-LHA
    • Flight 771
    • Flybe DH8D Dutch Safety Board report
    • FlyDubai Interim Report: Flight 981
    • Garuda Indonesia Flight 865
    • Germanwings 9525 Interim Report (PDF)
    • GoJet Airlines Final Report CRJ-700, N367CA
    • Incident investigation of 13-MAR-2016 Canadair CL-600-2B19 Challenger 850 owed by Elytra Charter
    • LAM 470 final report 2016
    • MAK Announcement of Boeing 747 Air Cargo Crash Manas Airport
    • MH17 Preliminary Crash Report
    • MH370 Debris report
    • MH370 First Principle Review
    • MH370 Interim Report
    • MH370 Official: Debris Report Released on MH370
    • MH370 Report: Debris Examination Report April 19, 2016
    • MH370 THIRD TRIPARTITE MINISTERIAL MEETING
    • MH370- Search for MH370 and ocean surface drift
    • Montreal Position paper
    • Preliminary report: MyCargo B744 at Bishkek on Jan 16th 2017
    • PT Wings Abadi Airlines Preliminary report
    • Report on Propair Flight 420
    • Ryanair B738 Crew Injury AAIB report
    • Text of the U.S Senate’s version of FAA reauthorization legislation
    • TransAsia Airways Flight GE235 Final report (summary)
    • US BANGLA AIRLINES, BOMBARDIER (UBG-211), DHC-8-402, S2-AGU, AT TRIBHUVAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KATHMANDU, NEPAL Final
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