Erie County Legislator Chris Greene is blasting an effort by some regional airlines to circumvent beefed-up flight safety standards that came about after the February 2009 crash of Flight 3407.
“I live in Clarence. I know the impact that crash had on so many neighbors, not to mention the devastating toll it had on this community,” said Legislator Greene. “It’s unfathomable that a carrier would want to ease safety standards.”
On the night of February 12, 2009, 45 passengers and 4 crew members died when the Colgan Air commuter plane crashed into a home in Clarence Center, bursting into flames. A man inside the home was also killed. Federal investigators said the crew made critical errors and that, along with inexperience, were the primary reasons for the crash. Now the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is holding hearings as it considers re-authorization of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding, guidelines and programs.
Safety concerns were raised after a request by SkyWest Airlines to reclassify operations in an effort to get around the 1500-hour pilot training rule. That rule requires all pilots in the United States to have at least 1500 hours of flight time before being eligible to fly for a regional airline. Critics say the move by SkyWest is meant to bypass those pilot training standards. Following the 2009 crash, families and loved ones of the victims advocated for tougher safety standards that included reforms to address pilot fatigue, the pilot records database, training requirements, and the 1500-hour rule.
“These families fought too hard and for too long for the federal government to relax those standards. They put their pain into action. They put their lives on hold to fight for tougher pilot standards, so no family would have to know the heartache they have felt these past 14 years. Their advocacy worked. We haven’t seen any fatal crashes on U.S. airlines since the Airline Safety Act took effect. To pull back after all their efforts would be disastrous,” said Legislator Greene.
Some family members of the Flight 3407 victims traveled to Washington D.C. this week to voice their opposition to relaxing safety standards. Legislator Greene said he hopes Congress will recognize the positive impact the reforms have made and listen to the families whose advocacy brought about these important changes.