WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Louise M. Slaughter (NY-25), Brian Higgins (NY-26), Chris Collins (NY-27), and Tom Reed (NY-23) today stood with Flight 3407 families and Capt. Tim Canoll, president of the Airline Pilots Association, and Jeff Skiles, first officer of the Miracle on the Hudson, in a bipartisan call for Congress to preserve hard-fought aviation safety improvements as the House prepares to consider Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation. They voiced strong and united opposition to any effort to roll back flight safety rules.
“Let's be clear, what is being proposed is a change in the
rules to allow less experienced pilots to fly commercial planes,” said
Congressman Higgins. “That is a huge step backwards in the long bureaucratic
battle for flight safety improvements that Flight 3407 families fought for and
every airline passenger benefits from today.”
“Eight years ago, Western New York was the scene of one of
the worst plane accidents in United States history. The Flight 3407 families
turned their inconceivable grief into powerful action by pushing Congress and
the Federal Aviation Administration to enact new safeguards to protect all air
travelers. Every American should be grateful for the diligence of these families,
who travel to Washington at their own expense to try and keep people safe. I am
so proud of what we accomplished together. Since that time, we haven’t seen
another fatal regional airline crash. I am proud to once again join the 3407
families today to encourage my colleagues to stand up to industry pressure and
protect travelers. We cannot afford to erase the progress we’ve made by rolling
back these safety standards,” said Slaughter.
“All Americans who have been safe on a regional airline the
past seven years owe the families of Flight 3407 a debt of gratitude,” said
Congressman Collins. “I would be gravely concerned if their remarkable efforts
are overturned by the interests of regional airlines that prioritize profits
over safety. The federal government and airlines have a responsibility for
keeping Americans safe, and I stand with my colleagues today pledging to do all
we can to keep these pilot training standards in place.”
“We will always remember the tragedy that took the lives of
so many in the crash of Flight 3407. We will continue to honor their memory and
stand with their family and friends to enhance flight safety regulations. The
families of Flight 3407 are tireless advocates who help save lives through
flight safety reforms. Because of their commitment Congress passed significant
legislation and we will not back down and lessen these important reforms,” said
Congressman Reed.
"I know that my
sister Beverly would be so proud of the determination and persistence that our
group continues to show over eight years after the crash, just as she did after
9/11," said Karen Eckert of Williamsville, who lost her sister and noted
9/11 widow and activist Beverly Eckert in the crash. "However we can't be
there every day, and that is where the unbelievable support of our elected
representatives in Washington, in particular our Western New York delegation,
has been so critical. And of course we are certainly not the experts when it
comes to aviation safety, and that's where Sully Sullenberger, Jeff Skiles, and
the pilots of ALPA have always had our backs. So when you put those pieces all
together, we really have an amazing team, whose efforts have resulted in 8
years of no fatal crashes, the safest period by far in U.S. aviation history.
And today's press conference should send a strong message that we are not going
away."
February 12th marked the 8th anniversary of the crash of
Colgan Air Flight 3407 in Clarence, NY. Following the 2009 tragedy the families
who lost loved ones as a result of the crash became vocal advocates in the
fight for flight safety reform and, working with the Western New York
delegation, won the passage of a number of measures toward the goal of
providing one level of safety for the flying public. As a result, we’ve seen
over seven years without a fatal regional airline crash.
The Airline Safety
and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension Act of 2010 included: pilot
fatigue rules with rest time requirements; pilot qualification rules including
a requirement for co-pilots to attain 1,500 hours of flight time experience and
transparency for ticket purchasers requiring full disclosure of the air carrier
operating flights.
The current FAA reauthorization will expire at
the end of September. Some members of the House are expected to try and remove
these vital airline safety protections as the upcoming reauthorization is
considered.
Congressman Tom Reed represents the Southern Tier and Finger
Lakes Regions of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member on the House Ways and Means
Committee, and serves on the Subcommittee on Health, Subcommittee on Trade, and
the Subcommittee on Human Resources.
