Hole in Southwest Jet Revives Inspection Concerns

DALLAS, TX — Federal investigators are trying to learn what caused a footwide hole to blow open as a Southwest Airlines jet flew high above West Virginia, reviving concerns about lax maintenance practices that embarrassed the carrier last year.

The Federal Aviation Administration told congressional aides Tuesday that it hadn't determined whether the Dallas-based carrier had complied with all required inspections.

"We're working as quickly as possible to figure out what happened to this plane," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a prepared statement. "We'll be looking closely at all the FAA safety directives that applied to this aircraft, as well as the plane's maintenance history."

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