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06-11-2009, 03:49 PM
By Jerry Zremski
News Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee said today that he plans to push legislation aimed at improving safety at regional airlines in the wake of the Feb. 12 crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence, which claimed 50 lives.
While praising Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for convening a meeting with the airlines next week to discuss voluntary safety measures, the committee's chairman, Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., said, "I don't think we can rely on voluntary industry compliance."
Flight 3407 was operated by Colgan Air, a regional airline, and revelations about the crash make it clear that the federal government has to make a new effort to ensure that regional airlines are just as safe as major carriers, Costello said.
Costello did not reveal any details about what his legislation would do. But the top Republican on the subcommittee, Rep. John Mica of Florida, agreed that legislation is necessary.
"There's something wrong when we have repeated accidents," Mica said, noting that most recent fatal aviation accidents in the U.S. involved regional carriers.
Costello also said he had asked the inspector general of the Department of Transportation to study pilot fatigue, which is seen as a possible factor in the Clarence crash.
Today's House hearing is the second of three on Capitol Hill this month. The Senate Aviation Subcommittee focused on grilling federal aviation officials on Tuesday, but the House hearing will include both regulators and a representative of Colgan, who was scheduled to testify later in the day.
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/700016.html
News Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee said today that he plans to push legislation aimed at improving safety at regional airlines in the wake of the Feb. 12 crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence, which claimed 50 lives.
While praising Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for convening a meeting with the airlines next week to discuss voluntary safety measures, the committee's chairman, Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., said, "I don't think we can rely on voluntary industry compliance."
Flight 3407 was operated by Colgan Air, a regional airline, and revelations about the crash make it clear that the federal government has to make a new effort to ensure that regional airlines are just as safe as major carriers, Costello said.
Costello did not reveal any details about what his legislation would do. But the top Republican on the subcommittee, Rep. John Mica of Florida, agreed that legislation is necessary.
"There's something wrong when we have repeated accidents," Mica said, noting that most recent fatal aviation accidents in the U.S. involved regional carriers.
Costello also said he had asked the inspector general of the Department of Transportation to study pilot fatigue, which is seen as a possible factor in the Clarence crash.
Today's House hearing is the second of three on Capitol Hill this month. The Senate Aviation Subcommittee focused on grilling federal aviation officials on Tuesday, but the House hearing will include both regulators and a representative of Colgan, who was scheduled to testify later in the day.
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/700016.html