My question would be … is this ASIAS system intended to provide information that will allow a reduction in the number of flight delays and cancellations … or is it intended to provide information that will allow an analysis of what airlines are doing that might contribute to a reduction in airline safety?? Of course, I’m not saying that delays and last minute cancellations cannot be terribly inconvenient or frustrating – probably both – but it is inconceivable that the missing fact is that all of the delays and cancellations in the world are not even close to the “inconvenience” or “frustration” resulting from having one (or all!) of your family killed in an airline accident! I happen to agree with the FAA’s Dr. Foushee in that the kinds of confidentiality agreements that are in place are likely to be one of the only reasons (if not THE only reason) that allows information on airline activities and associated and relevant information to be forwarded to the FAA – and I’m quite sure that such information is NOT limited to delays and cancellations. But I’m also aware that internal organizations, or even individual offices, within the FAA are not terribly interested in having “outside” criticisms of how they conduct their business – regardless of the nature of the specific issue being reported.
So when ASIAS “reports” are read, if any of them point to a safety related issue, any formalized questioning of an associated practice of the FAA (either formulated by or carried through by an organization within the FAA’s organizational structure), particularly if the questioner is someone like an Inspector General’s representative, or even one of Dr. Foushee’s staff, I have to wonder if anyone really finds it surprising that the FAA officials to whom such questions are posed immediately deny any legitimacy connected with that concern? If that “shoulder-shrug” or “bland/blank expression” is the result – and I’m highly suspicious that they ARE, at least at times, and perhaps ALL the time – any additional prodding and poking conducted by representatives of either of these offices, are likely to find employees who become even more reluctant to speak or deny having any informative or relevant information. If either of these offices were to pursue such questioning with the ASIAS information they have, I feel quite sure they legitimately fear seeing such information sources dry up and disappear. There are just too many instances where the “whistle blower” protection systems in place (at either the airline or at the FAA – or both) are either inadequate or are somehow circumvented. In fact, I know of some FAA inspectors who have been disciplined (i.e., given days off or have had their performance reports downgraded – or both) for initiating, echoing, or confirming similar kinds of safety concerns.
Is it possible that the published reports and associated comments that primarily address cancellations or delays are intended to deflect attention from the reality of the safety issues which I suspect was the original intent of the development of the AISAS in the first place??