Why is NASA Sitting on this Airline Safety Report?
Why is NASA Sitting on this Airline Safety Report?
NASA Sits on Air Safety Survey, AP
“A senior NASA official, associate administrator Thomas S. Luedtke, said revealing the findings could damage the public’s confidence in airlines and affect airline profits. Luedtke acknowledged that the survey results “present a comprehensive picture of certain aspects of the U.S. commercial aviation industry.” The AP sought to obtain the survey data over 14 months under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. “Release of the requested data, which are sensitive and safety-related, could materially affect the public confidence in, and the commercial welfare of, the air carriers and general aviation companies whose pilots participated in the survey,” Luedtke wrote in a final denial letter to the AP. NASA also cited pilot confidentiality as a reason, although no airlines were identified in the survey, nor were the identities of pilots, all of whom were promised anonymity.”
Editor’s note: This is a yet another rather dumb public stance for NASA personnel to take. I wonder how the “public” will feel when they learn that their government is openly witholding important information from them regarding their safety?
File Your Own Freedom of Information (FOIA) Request and see what NASA does or does not send you.