In an unusual public rebuke, the FAA’s Office of Special Counsel said in letters to the White House and Congress that it lagged in responding to urgent safety problems, with the administration not following through on promised corrections in five of seven whistleblower cases.

Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner claims there is a pattern dating at least to 2007 in which FAA employees have complained that the FAA refused to heed warnings about significant safety issues and then promised to correct the problems only when forced by oversight agencies. While Lerner stopped short of saying the FAA’s lapses mean public safety is at risk, she did say the administration failed to respond to serious safety allegations with the urgency they deserve.

Lerner has appealed to the White House and Congress to take action. The FAA is believed to have the highest number of whistleblower filings by agency – 178 since FY 2007, 89 of which are related to aviation safety.