[Infowarrior] - FAA wants to keep bird strike records confidential

[Richard Forno]

FAA wants to keep bird strike records confidential

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jY8-kkW9-PHtlRozIgDmYbO5aOcQD976DS4O0

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration has reversed  
itself after promising to disclose records about how frequently  
commercial planes are damaged by hitting flying birds.

The agency now wants to keep those government records secret from air  
travelers because it fears that if the public found out the  
information then airports and air carriers wouldn't report damage from  
birds.

The FAA had promised The Associated Press, in a conference call with  
senior FAA officials on Feb. 18, that it would turn over the data  
within days. Since then, the FAA has said only that the AP's request  
for the data under the Freedom of Information Act was "under review."  
The AP asked for the information in January.

Last week, the FAA quietly proposed keeping the data secret.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.