The US Department of Labor has ordered Asia Pacific Airlines (Guam) to pay more than USD2 million in wages, damages, and legal fees to a pilot disciplined, suspended, and eventually sacked for raising aircraft safety concerns.
The department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ordered Asia Pacific Airlines to pay their former employee USD419,267 in back pay plus interest, eight years of future salary, USD27,596 in interest on loans and restoration of 401k contributions, USD75,000 in damages, and reasonable attorney fees. In addition, it was ordered to expunge the employee’s record and provide training to current employees on their rights.
A three-year investigation found that the pilot, Captain Brant Swigart, repeatedly raised concerns that the cargo carrier's maintenance team was approving maintenance and repair reports without properly diagnosing engine problems.
The team also allegedly used the wrong procedure to troubleshoot and diagnose the engine malfunctions, making it impossible to identify the cause of the problem and fix it before clearing the aircraft to fly.
“Asia Pacific Airlines has shown an unacceptable and potentially catastrophic disregard for safety and shamefully viewed pilots’ safety concerns as employee conflicts,” said Ryan Himes, OSHA assistant regional administrator.
The investigation said that the airline disregarded Swigart’s concerns and retaliated against him for exercising his federally protected rights to raise safety...
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