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FAA won't back training requirements pushed by Flight 3407 families
By Jerry Zremski
NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
Updated: December 11, 2009, 12:28 AM / 13 comments
WASHINGTON — The head of the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday signaled that the agency will not back the Families of Continental Flight 3407 in their call for a dramatic increase in pilot experience requirements in wake of the crash that claimed the lives of 50 in Clarence in February.In written testimony to be delivered at a Senate Commerce Commitee hearing Thursday, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said the agency is rewriting a proposal that it released earlier this year, which would have boosted the number of flight hours new pilots must have.
"The final rule will be consistent with the philosophy of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of training rather than focusing on traditional quantitative measures such as total flight time," Babbitt said in the testimony.
The Flight 3407 families, who have been pushing for legislation requiring that new pilots have 1,500 flight hours before they can fly passengers, obtained a copy of the written testimony and were livid at what they saw.
"Once again, it looks like corporate lobbying dollars are going to win out over the average citizens," said Scott Maurer, who lost his daughter, Lorin, in the crash.
Maurer noted that the aviation industry has been lobbying strongly against the proposed increase in pilot training.
Babbitt argued that basing training requirements merely on the basis of flight hours was not the best way to guarantee that pilots are adequately trained.
He said the FAA is looking at ways to make sure pilots receive specialized training in exposure to icing, multiple-pilot operations and other facets of commercial aviation.
"We view this option as being more targeted than merely increasing the number of total flight hours required, because it will be obvious to the carrier what skills an individual pilot has, rather than relying on an assumption that a certain number of hours has resulted in a comprehensive set of skills," Babbitt said.
That argument didn't wash with the Flight 3407 families.
Susan Bourque, who lost her sister, Beverly Eckert, in the crash, said Babbitt's proposal to rewrite the rules sounded as if it could take six to eight years to complete.
"How many crashes for the regional airlines is it going to take before our government does something?" Bourque said. "Evidently, six in a row is not enough."
About 35 members of the families group, most clad in red, gathered Thursday morning for the Senate hearing.
Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, the North Dakota Democrat who chairs the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, praised the families for pushing the FAA and lawmakers to make changes to improve aviation safety.
"I'm convinced that their relentless actions ... will end up saving lives," Dorgan said.
[email protected]
FAA won't back training requirements pushed by Flight 3407 families
By Jerry Zremski
NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
Updated: December 11, 2009, 12:28 AM / 13 comments
WASHINGTON — The head of the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday signaled that the agency will not back the Families of Continental Flight 3407 in their call for a dramatic increase in pilot experience requirements in wake of the crash that claimed the lives of 50 in Clarence in February.In written testimony to be delivered at a Senate Commerce Commitee hearing Thursday, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said the agency is rewriting a proposal that it released earlier this year, which would have boosted the number of flight hours new pilots must have.
"The final rule will be consistent with the philosophy of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of training rather than focusing on traditional quantitative measures such as total flight time," Babbitt said in the testimony.
The Flight 3407 families, who have been pushing for legislation requiring that new pilots have 1,500 flight hours before they can fly passengers, obtained a copy of the written testimony and were livid at what they saw.
"Once again, it looks like corporate lobbying dollars are going to win out over the average citizens," said Scott Maurer, who lost his daughter, Lorin, in the crash.
Maurer noted that the aviation industry has been lobbying strongly against the proposed increase in pilot training.
Babbitt argued that basing training requirements merely on the basis of flight hours was not the best way to guarantee that pilots are adequately trained.
He said the FAA is looking at ways to make sure pilots receive specialized training in exposure to icing, multiple-pilot operations and other facets of commercial aviation.
"We view this option as being more targeted than merely increasing the number of total flight hours required, because it will be obvious to the carrier what skills an individual pilot has, rather than relying on an assumption that a certain number of hours has resulted in a comprehensive set of skills," Babbitt said.
That argument didn't wash with the Flight 3407 families.
Susan Bourque, who lost her sister, Beverly Eckert, in the crash, said Babbitt's proposal to rewrite the rules sounded as if it could take six to eight years to complete.
"How many crashes for the regional airlines is it going to take before our government does something?" Bourque said. "Evidently, six in a row is not enough."
About 35 members of the families group, most clad in red, gathered Thursday morning for the Senate hearing.
Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, the North Dakota Democrat who chairs the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, praised the families for pushing the FAA and lawmakers to make changes to improve aviation safety.
"I'm convinced that their relentless actions ... will end up saving lives," Dorgan said.
[email protected]
