Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles E. Schumer, together with U.S. Representatives Brian Higgins, Louise Slaughter and Kathy Hochul, today wrote to FAA Administrator Randolph Babbitt urging him to implement new rules for pilot training that were included in the overhauled FAA regulations that the New York members worked hard to pass. Pilot error was identified as the cause of the Flight 3407 tragedy.
In their letter to Administrator Babbitt, the members wrote, “In light of these instances of pilot difficulties in responding to emergency situations, it is crucial that this final rule be issued as quickly as possible. The changes that it mandates in terms of crewmember training, particularly in the areas of stall and upset recognition and recovery, and the establishment of remedial training programs, could go a long way in preventing a recurrence of the Flight 3407 crash and achieving one level of safety with major and regional carriers.”
“Over two and a half years after the completely preventable tragedy of Flight 3407, we now know full well the importance of revamping our pilot training model to more fully prepare our pilots for the challenges they face in the cockpit today,” stated John Kausner of Clarence Center, New York, who lost his twenty-four year old daughter Ellyce. “However, there is a big difference between knowing what needs to be done and actually implementing it, and we are counting on Administrator Babbitt and the FAA to bring this rulemaking to completion. As always, we are thankful for the tremendous support of our Western New York congressional delegation, and for their leadership on this critical safety initiative.”
The Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Extension Act of 2010 set new requirements for crewmember training, particularly in the areas of stall and upset recognition and recovery, and the establishment of remedial training programs. The development of a comprehensive training regimen that reflects real-world situations and gives pilots simulator training in preventing and recovering from aerodynamic stalls and emergencies, training in adverse weather conditions, and remedial training for pilots that have repeated flight test failures will develop pilots with strong manual flying skills and will lead to safer skies.
The members full letter to FAA Administrator Babbitt:
Dear Administrator Babbitt:
We are writing to urge you to expeditiously complete the rulemaking process for the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to enhance crewmember training.
Numerous media reports have brought to light deficiencies in pilot training and response to emergency situations. Sadly, these deficiencies were in evidence in February of 2009 over Clarence Center, New York, when Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed, killing the forty-nine passengers and crew on board, and a resident on the ground.
As you know, the National Transportation Safety Board determined the cause of the Flight 3407 tragedy to be the captain’s inadequate response to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover. Neither the pilot nor the first officer recognized that the plane was losing speed too quickly, and the pilot’s reaction to the activation of the stick shaker and the stick pusher was to pull back on the control yoke. This action was the exact opposite of what pilot training calls for and led to the loss of control and crash of the plane.
Pilot error was the cause of the aerodynamic stall that lead to the recent crash of Air France Flight 447, the result of pilot training deficiencies similar to those of Flight 3407. Additionally, the FAA identified the leading causes of fatal accidents for U.S. air carriers over the last 20 years to have been loss of control, CFIT and human error, with 178 accidents between 1988 and 2009 the result of inadequate training.
In light of these instances of pilot difficulties in responding to emergency situations, it is crucial that this final rule be issued as quickly as possible. The changes that it mandates in terms of crewmember training, particularly in the areas of stall and upset recognition and recovery, and the establishment of remedial training programs, could go a long way in preventing a recurrence of the Flight 3407 crash and achieving one level of safety with major and regional carriers.
Additionally, the development of a comprehensive training regimen that better reflects real-world situations and gives pilots simulator training in preventing and recovering from aerodynamic stalls and emergencies, training in adverse weather conditions, and remedial training for pilots that have repeated flight test failures will undoubtedly develop pilots with strong manual flying skills and will ultimately lead to safer skies.
Every day that passes without these measures being implemented carries a potential risk to the traveling public. Again, we urge you move expeditiously to finalize these critical rules, and thank you for your leadership in aviation safety, and your work to make the skies safer.