FBI Finds No Cover-Up by FAA, Continental

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that a two-year FBI investigation found no merit to allegations of a cover-up of safety violations by the Federal Aviation Administration and Continental Airlines.

“Based on our review” of the probe into charges by airline pilots and a former FAA employee, “we have concluded there is insufficient evidence to support prosecutive action,” U.S. Atty. Robert Bonner said.

FBI spokesman Fred Reagan confirmed that the bureau has completed its inquiry into the alleged improprieties stemming from a 1984 special inspection of the Houston-based airline in Los Angeles.

Continental and FAA officials both said the decision vindicates their contention that the inspection was in order.

Officials with the Airline Pilots Assn., which had accused the agency of covering up allegedly faulty safety practices at the airline, declined comment on the decision because the union is prohibited from publicly criticizing the airline under a back-to-work agreement that ended the pilots’ 1983 strike.

In February, 1984, four months after the association struck Continental, the FAA formed a 10-member team of investigators to scrutinize the airline’s operations. According to published accounts, an early report by the FAA team recommended 20 enforcement actions, which were deleted in a final report written by FAA supervisors.