FAA OVERSIGHT OF UNITED AIRLINES TO BE AUDITED BY WATCHDOG

(Bloomberg) -- A US government watchdog will audit the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of maintenance practices at United Airlines Holdings Inc. after a series of mishaps involving the carrier.

The Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General “will evaluate FAA’s actions to address maintenance non-compliances and violations” at United, according to a memo posted on the watchdog’s website. The audit will begin later this month.

The inquiry follows a series of mishaps involving United flights earlier this year that triggered an FAA review of the carrier’s operations. The spate of incidents included a wheel that flew off a plane after takeoff, a fuselage panel lost during flight and an aircraft that skidded off a runway shortly after landing.

The incidents “serve to remind us that FAA oversight of maintenance programs is paramount,” Nelda Smith, assistant inspector general for aviation audits, said in the memo.

United declined to comment. An FAA representative said the regulator welcomes outside scrutiny and will fully cooperate with the watchdog’s audit.

The audit will be carried out at the FAA’s headquarters in Washington, DC, and the regulator’s offices that oversee United. The watchdog will also visit maintenance hubs for the carrier in Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, according to the memo.

The FAA has blocked United from adding new aircraft or starting service to new cities during its safety review, curbing the carrier’s ability to grow. That review began in March, and the agency has declined to say how long it will last.

The FAA has increased its presence at United’s operations as part of the evaluation and is reviewing processes, manuals and facilities. The carrier also launched its own review of the incidents and its employee training.

The inspector general’s review is the latest audit of the FAA’s role policing maintenance operations at airlines including Southwest Airlines Co. and American Airlines Group Inc.

(Updates with comment from FAA in fifth paragraph)