FAA Whistleblower Hotline

Sep 09, 2021
By Peter Friedmann

As a potential airline and aviation industry FAA whistleblower, you may have questions as to how to go about reporting a possible safety or regulatory violation. The Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR21) in 2000, provides whistleblower protection for employees in the aviation industry who report safety or regulatory violation.  Under the AIR21 Whistleblower Protection Program, employees are able to file and report safety violations or aviation hazards without having to fear retaliation for doing so.

You may wonder how to go about filing a report regarding an FAA safety violation.  Aviation employees can make use of the FAA whistleblower hotline to file reports and concerns, which we will take a closer look at below.

What is the FAA Whistleblower Hotline?

Before getting into how to file an FAA hotline complaint, we will first take a short look at just what the FAA whistleblower hotline is.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is an organization that is concerned with providing “the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.” The FAA is responsible for investigating any potential aviation violations of Federal regulations, standards, or orders where safety is concerned.

This is where the FAA whistleblower hotline comes in. The FAA Office of Audit and Evaluation handles the review of any aviation and safety-related allegations and reports that are made through the FAA whistleblower hotline.

The Office of Audit and Evaluation will then go ahead and assess the likelihood of the reported allegation having occurred.

How to File an FAA Hotline Complaint with the FAA Whistleblower Hotline

For those looking to file an FAA hotline complaint, there are two main methods that you can use.

First, the FAA’s recommended method to file and report an FAA hotline complaint is to submit it directly through the Electronic Complaint Form. This is an electronic form on the FAA website that serves as one way to report to the FAA whistleblower hotline.

The FAA whistleblower hotline, as described by the FAA, provides “a single venue for FAA employees, the aviation community and the public to file their reports.”

Secondly, if you have an FAA hotline complaint you can also email it to this email: faa-air21@faa.gov.

You’ll need to include the following information in your email:

  • Your name
  • Contact information such as your phone number and email
  • Your job
  • The name of your employer
  • A detailed list of the safety allegations that you reported
  • The date and kind of discrimination or retaliation that you are facing

As listed on the FAA whistleblower hotline form, the following people can submit appropriately related FAA hotline complaints:

  • FAA employees
  • FAA contractors
  • Passengers or travelers
  • Members of the aviation community
  • Law enforcement
  • The general public
  • An attorney, law firm, or an aviation organization

Things that should not be reported to the FAA whistleblower hotline include:

  • General comments
  • Questions
  • Reports or complaints not related to aviation safety issues like service-related concerns, pets on passenger flights, or general aviation issues

An important detail to note anyone who files a complaint or report will have their identity kept confidential from the company you work for while an investigation is underway. The inspectors assigned to the investigation will also not notify the company that said the investigation is occurring.

Filing A Complaint with the FAA Whistleblower Hotline? Consider Contacting a Whistleblower Attorney

If you are an aviation employee looking to file an FAA hotline complaint, consider getting in touch with The Friedmann Firm. As experienced whistleblower lawyers with a focus on employment law, we offer free, confidential consultations for employees that may be serving as whistleblowers. Contact us at 614-610-9755 or schedule an appointment online today.