Quoting the Wall Street Journal, the International Air Letter says: "The databases that the US Federal Aviation Administration uses to keep track of airline problems are filled with mistakes and omissions ..." and "Some airlines told the paper they file as few FA reports as possible to avoid scrutiny from lawyers, media and competitors. But other omissions from FAA databases were inexplicable. For example, a 1996 engine failure that killed two Delta Airlines passengers didn't turn up in a list of Delta accidents because the FAA's database omitted Delta's name. FAA officials said it isn't clear what led to the omission."

None of this is surprising. In the June 26, 1995 issue of U.S. News & World Report in an article entitled "What's Wrong with the FAA?", Billie Vincent, former top security officer at the FAA, stated: "... the industry, they really own the FAA."

Further, for confirmation of the above quote and much more by former FAA inspector Rodney Stich see his web-site www.unfriendlyskies.com.