Former FAA inspector claims retaliation

SEATTLE, June 25 (UPI) -- A former safety inspector is suing the FAA in Seattle, claiming gender discrimination and retaliation for her efforts to enforce rules at Alaska Airlines.

Mary Rose Diefenderfer was a pilot before she joined the Federal Aviation Administration in 1988. She left in 1999 after a contentious five years as the person in Seattle responsible for the agency's oversight of Alaska Airlines, The Seattle Times reported.

Her lawsuit was delayed for 11 years because of claims she had filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which had to be resolved first.

In legal papers, Diefenderfer said she was warned by her predecessor that Alaska Airlines and the FAA had a close relationship. She claims the airline objected to her attempts to enforce safety regulations and that her superiors failed to back her up.

In 2000, an Alaska Airlines plane crashed off the coast of California, killing 88 people. The crash was blamed on a faultily maintained part.

Diefenderfer is seeking reinstatement to her job and back pay.