Flight 3407 families attended the Senate Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday for President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says they wanted to make sure Chao is aware of their continuing efforts passenger safety on regional airlines.
Eight years ago next month Colgan Air's Continental Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center killing everyone one board and one person in a home. Since then, family members of the victims have been fighting hard for improved safety.
Western New York Congressman Brian Higgins appeared on the House floor Wednesday recognizing how the families continue to pushing to strengthen pilot training and flight safety rules.
“It is essential that we continue to stand alongside the families of Flight 3407 and fight attempts to roll back pilot training and safety provisions. We must not forget those we lost nearly eight years ago, and do all that is possible to prevent another tragedy of this kind,” stated Higgins.
While in D.C. the families reminded federal leaders that from 2001-to 2009 there were six fatal crashes of regional airlines. But since that time there have been no fatal commercial domestic plane crashes.
Congress did support the airline safety and federal aviation administration extension act of 2010. Higgins reminds lawmakers great strides have been made to make regional flights safer.
“Since then, there have been nearly eight years of no fatal commercial crashes on domestic U.S. airlines. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization is on the horizon, and we must further strengthen flight safety measures,” said Higgins.
The families continue calling for a pilot record database. Funding for the FAA is set to expire at the end of September.
The families wanted to make sure Congress and the new Transportation Secretary don't retreat back to entry-level qualifications standards for pilots as they work on re-authorization.
Flight 3407 families will be traveling back to Washington February 1st as they approach the eight anniversary of the fatal carsh.