Schumer Urges FAA to Bolster Oversight of Regional Airlines

June 7, 2013
Shumer sends letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta

June 06--WASHINGTON -- Sen. Charles E. Schumer today urged the Federal Aviation Administration to bolster its oversight of regional airlines in wake of a recent Buffalo News report that federal aviation officials warned Colgan Air executives about safety problems six months before the crash of the airline's Flight 3407 in Clarence in 2009, but failed to follow up on that warning.

In a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, Schumer noted that a National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the FAA's principal operations inspector for Colgan was not fully familiar with the model of plane that eventually crashed in Clarence -- and that four years later, the FAA still hasn't bolstered training for its inspectors even though the NTSB has recommended it do so.

"I was saddened and angered by the Buffalo News report that revealed there were serious red flags regarding Colgan Air's safety before the Flight 3407 crash, and was alarmed to discover that the FAA still has not satisfied the NTSB that their Safety Inspectors have the proper training or knowledge needed to work on the flights to which they are assigned," said Schumer, D-N.Y.

In the letter, Schumer asked Huerta to explain how the FAA plans to comply with that NTSB recommendation that it bolster training for its inspectors. In addition, Schumer asked Huerta what his agency is doing to make sure that regional airlines are preparing for tougher pilot qualifications and training standards that are on target to be implemented later this year.

"The revelations stemming from this recent Buffalo News report raise important questions about how the FAA and the regional airline industry are addressing a set of recommendations made by the NTSB," as well as the Department of Transportation's Inspector General, Schumer wrote to Huerta. "In particular, the news report provides shocking testimony from a former Colgan official that the cost-cutting ways of regional airlines lead to the hiring of inexperienced pilots and lackluster training programs."

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