US Airways Pilots Question Safety Culture

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheStreet) -- US Airways (LCC) pilots are calling for the dismissal of the carrier's chief safety officer, saying the safety culture has deteriorated markedly since a 2005 merger.

The airline, however, said that Paul Morell, vice president of safety and regulatory compliance, is staying and the charges are baseless, motivated by ongoing contract talks with the U.S. Airline Pilots Association. "It's unfortunate that our pilots' union is using safety as a negotiating tactic," said airline spokeswoman Michelle Mohr. "It's a real disservice to the 32,000 employees of US Airways."

Tom Kubik, USAPA safety chairman, insisted that pilots safety concerns are unrelated to negotiations. "What we are saying is that they're putting so much emphasis on economics and on-time [performance] that they're losing sight of the safety culture that existed here," he said.

Kubik acknowledged that the safety level of U.S. commercial aviation is high and that "every airline has a great safety record." But he said US Airways' standing results from highly experienced pilots rather than from its faltering safety culture. Historically, he said, the safety level has varied, peaking when the airline vastly intensified its focus following a series of five fatal crashes between 1989 and 1994.

This spring, USAPA spent about $30,000 to hire a consultant to conduct a safety culture survey, which showed that "we have a safety culture in need of intervention," Kubik said. He acknowledged that while 38% of the carrier's 4,116 pilots responded, the response rate was only 7% at America West, which merged with US Airways in 2005. The two pilot groups have been sharply divided because of a controversial seniority list devised by an arbitrator: most America West pilots back the seniority list and oppose USAPA.

Here are examples of three specific safety issues that concern USAPA. They are among 17 issues the pilots reported to the airline's board in seeking Morell's dismissal.

The airline's 767s are not equipped with a satellite phone. This is not a problem on the trans-Atlantic, where high frequency radios work, but it is a problem on the Charlotte-Rio flight because, on some nights, the pilots cannot communicate with US Airways dispatchers. Kubik said potential solutions include putting a $50,000 satellite phone on the airplane or switching to the newer A330, which has the phone.