A new Seattle Times report took a deep dive into whistleblower complaints concerning the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing—finding that the agency dismisses the majority of complaints it receives.
Looking at data from 2020-2023, the report found that more than 90% of safety complaints ended with no violation found by the FAA. The Times article highlighted that “the FAA dismisses whistleblower complaints on preliminary review when they lack sufficient information to investigate, repeat an allegation that’s already being investigated, or lack a basis for retaliation claims.” The article also noted that it remains unclear how many of the hundreds of complaints dismissed might have merit.
Of the 728 complaints from 2020-2023, only about 8.5% resulted in findings of violations, while nearly 40% were dismissed before reaching the fact-finding phase, according to the investigation.
Meanwhile, the FAA has disputed parts of the Seattle Times article, stating that it investigates more complaints than claimed, and asserted that its Office of Audit and Evaluation is more independent than the article portrayed.
