Curious inspector: Employee grounds flights, causes delays

WHO: A safety inspector for the Transportation Safety Administration

WHAT: The hapless inspector managed to ground nine planes and delay 40 flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday after he reportedly damaged sensitive instruments while climbing into parked airplanes.

WHY THEY DID IT: The TSA is apparently arguing it could fine American Airlines in connection with the incident, because the inspector should not have been able to access the interiors of planes in the first place. The inspector in question has not been named or made a statement.

WHY IT’S A BAD IDEA: Airline pilots are questioning whether TSA inspectors are properly qualified to do their jobs. The damage was caught in a preflight pilot inspection, but it raises the question of whether other such incidents might go unrecorded.

WHERE TO VENT: The TSA can be reached at tsacontact-center@dhs.gov or (866) 289-9673.