FAA Whistleblowers Get Award

Those two FAA safety inspectors from Dallas who blew the whistle on alleged safety lapses in the airline industry are getting an award.

Here’s the press release from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Special Counsel will present the 2007 Office of Special Counsel (OSC) Public Servant Award to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) whistleblowers Charalambe “Bobby” Boutris and Douglas E. Peters.  Disclosures by Mr. Boutris and Mr. Peters revealed that an FAA official knowingly allowed Southwest Airlines to operate aircraft in unsafe or unairworthy condition.  

Their disclosures have resulted in a widespread investigation into FAA’s inspection practices nationwide and the regulatory compliance of other airlines, and resulted in significant congressional hearings into aviation oversight.  In addition, the investigation into the safety issues brought forth by these disclosures has resulted in significant, comprehensive inspection of aircraft causing the cancellation of over 1,000 flights and the grounding of hundreds of aircraft in order to bring them into compliance with FAA Airworthiness Directives. 

Information on the Public Servant Award Ceremony

·          When: Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 10:00 a.m.

·          Where:  Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, 1201 17th St, NW, Washington DC (Corner of 17th & M, NW), Lecture Hall 102;

·          What: The OSC 2007 Public Servant Award will be presented to Mr. Boutris and Mr. Peters; remarks will be made by Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch and the award recipients;

·          Space is limited; please confirm if you plan to cover this event;

·          Note: due to restrictions at this venue, videographers should be prepared to shoot with battery-powered lights (although light is likely sufficient in the lecture hall).

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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency and operates as a secure channel for disclosures of whistleblower complaints. Its primary mission is to safeguard the merit system in federal employment by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially retaliation for whistleblowing. OSC also has jurisdiction over the Hatch Act.  For more information please visit our web site at www.osc.gov <http://www.osc.gov>  or call 1 (800) 872-9855.