ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996                  TAG: 9606210034
SECTION: EDITORIAL                PAGE: A-8  EDITION: METRO 

AIR SAFETY THE FAA'S DIVIDED ATTENTION

THE DAY after a ValuJet plane disintegrated into the swamp of the Florida Everglades last month, Transportation Secretary Federico Pena stood before television cameras, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration at his side, and assured the American public that the airline was safe.

This week, ValuJet shut down in the face of an ultimatum from safety regulators to ground itself voluntarily or be grounded.

FAA Administrator David Hinson says official confidence in the airline immediately after the crash was justified, based on the information available at the time. Many of the serious maintenance and safety problems cited by the FAA came to light only after the intense scrutiny that followed the crash of Flight 592.

Why?

Ignorance is hardly a reassuring explanation from the agency in charge of regulating air safety. None of the incidents the FAA cited in grounding ValuJet was directly related to the fatal crash. But the 34 violations portray an airline that was flying planes that it knew had broken or malfunctioning parts, and was contracting with some mechanics unqualified for their jobs.

The latter practice may have a bearing on the crash. The Miami Herald reported Thursday that two mechanics working for a subcontractor falsely indicated that required safety caps were on oxygen canisters in the cargo hold of the jet. Investigators think the canisters may have caught fire, causing the crash.

The FAA has issued new rules tightening oversight of contractors. But there's reason to worry whether the agency's eagerness to help ValuJet get established may have had as much to do with the fast-growing airline's apparent laxity as any dearth of rules. FAA field inspectors had reported some serious concerns about ValuJet before last month's crash.

Whether or not Pena is right to ask Congress to change the FAA's mission, from promoting both safety and commerce to the single charge of ensuring safety, one thing should be clear. The public expects safety to be kept foremost, and not just after a crash.

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