Families and friends of those lost in the crash of Continental Flight 3407 were in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, speaking before the Senate Commerce Committee on the eighth anniversary of the fatal crash.
It was February 12, 2009 when Continental Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center, killing 45 passengers, 4 crew members, 1 off-duty pilot and a hamlet resident on the ground. Wednesday's hearing focused on reducing airline regulations.
John Kausner of Clarence Center - who lost his 24-year-old daughter when the plane crashed near his home - said lobbyists may find regulations a 'burden," but the real burden is "the needless loss" of his daughter and every other person who died on that flight. He is hoping the families' presence at the hearing will serve as a "strong testimonial" that regulations are "very necessary...when it comes to safety."
“It is unthinkable that some in the aviation industry are pushing the FAA to water down these standards, and it is an affront to the 3407 families’ efforts over the last eight years,” said Senator Charles Schumer. “That’s why I am renewing my push to ensure the FAA maintains its current safety rules and make sure travelers can expect a safe journey, regardless of the size of the airline.”
In addition to attending the hearing, the group conducted outreach on both sides of Capitol Hill and with members of the new Trump Administration. As part of that outreach, Flight 3407 families joined local members of Congress Chris Collins, Brian Higgins, Tom Reed and Louise Slaughter in a roundtable discussion with top House of Representatives transportation leaders to emphasize the importance of protecting the hard-fought aviation safety improvements achieved in recent years.
“Eight years have passed since one of the worst plane accidents in recent U.S. history devastated so many across Western New York," said Slaughter. "The strength and courage of Flight 3407 families has been immeasurable. Through unspeakable tragedy, they have pushed Congress and the FAA to learn from their loss and make reforms that better protect travelers across the country. Our skies are safer today because of their work."
The Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration 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. However, the current FAA reauthorization will expire at the end of September.
"It would be absolutely irresponsible for our government to send a message to the industry that it could return to its old bad habits," said Susan Bourque of East Aurora, who lost her sister and 9/11 widow and activist Beverly Eckert, "so we remain committed to being vocal and visible here in Washington in honor of the memory of our loved ones."
"As we gear up for another FAA Reauthorization process, we are totally dedicated to preserving the hard-fought safety gains that have been made and seeing the electronic Pilot Records Database finally fully implemented," said Kausner.
