With the fourth anniversary of the Clarence Center crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 Tuesday, 47 survivors of crash victims are flying to Washington today to lobby for new safety rules.Congress passed and the president signed new safety legislation, but it remains tangled in the back room lobbying scene in Washington, months behind schedule.
Lobbyists object to rules requiring better higher education for pilots, a requirement for more flight hours before a pilot can fly a commercial aircraft, and controls over major airlines contracting out flights to regional airlines as Continental contracted flights to Colgan.
The family members will be heading through the halls of the Capitol and congressional office buildings Tuesday to lobby for the rules against airline industry lobbying.
One of those catching a flight this afternoon is Jennifer West who lost husband Ernie in the crash.
"President Obama signed the bill. We got it passed. They probably think, Okay, well, that's done, safer skies for everyone. Unfortunately, it's not how it works. We still have to fight and a lot of people probably don't even realize almost four years later, we're still fighting so they don't water down what we want," said West.
West says she now pays a great deal more attention than before to who is in the cockpit, once even asking to meet the pilot.
