TSA fails to conduct regular background screenings on foreign pilots

Background checks are used by businesses and government agencies to ensure employees are trustworthy, both financially and morally. However, a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals the aerospace transportation industry is falling short. In fact, the report found that foreign nationals continue to be trained at American flight schools with no background checks. Between January 2006 and September 2011, more than 25,000 foreign pilots were trained in the U.S. without a proper background check, according to the GAO's report. Furthermore, KGTV in San Diego investigated 19 flight schools nationwide and found only six were authorized to teach foreign students, yet an additional six were doing so anyway. The Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for monitoring and administering background screenings, has failed to acknowledge the findings. Instead, a spokesman has said they will not be giving interviews on the subject for many days, according to KGTV. "It seems nobody wants to take ownership of this," San Diego County Supervisor Diane Jacob told the news station. "Everybody is passing the buck. Everybody is pointing fingers to someone else and that's not a way to solve a problem."