Flight 3407 Reflected in Senate FAA Bill

WASHINGTON-- New language being added to the Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization bill that's expected to pass the Senate next week will require the agency to issue a rule requiring all copilots on regional passenger airlines to have at least 800 hours of training, including experience in adverse weather conditions such as icing.

The manager's amendment to the legislation is a compromise that avoids a floor vote on an amendment proposed by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to require all commercial airline pilots and copilots to have at least 1,500 hours of training. The House already has passed its version of the bill with a 1,500 hour requirement, but it allows the inclusion of classroom hours spent at commercial flight schools.

The new Senate language requires flight time in adverse weather conditions, including icing. It also requires experience flying at high altitudes and in a multi-pilot cockpit. The new requirement comes in response to the February 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence in which the investigation revealed the two pilots of the commuter plane were not experienced in dealing with icing.

Current regulations allow commuter pilots to fly passengers with only 250 hours of experience. "At long last, the Senate will consider this legislation that will vastly improve the training for flight crews across the country and improve safety for all passengers," Schumer stated in a press release. "The 3407 families have been saint-like in their patience, and unwavering in their advocacy, but finally their wait is coming to an end."

 Half A Loaf Is Better Than None

"It might not be all we were looking for but it's a huge victory," said Robin Tolsma, whose husband died in the crash.

"It's still good news because as it stands right now (the required training for co-pilots) is 250 hours. This is 800 hours, ...a little bit over three times more for a pilot to be trained in a cockpit," Mrs. Tolsma said.

Karen Eckert, whose sister Beverly died in the crash and who has made 19 trips to Washington to lobby for the bill, is pleased as well with the types of proficiency co-pilots will have to demonstrate in their training.

"Difficult things, like adverse conditions in a multi-pilot environment," Eckert told 2 On Your Side's Dave McKinley.

"This Senate bill when it passes, and we expect it to pass next week, will then be conferences with the House version and the House version still has the higher (1500 hr.) level in it and we hope that the final bill that will come out will raise this even higher," Eckert said.

According to Schumer, if the FAA does not implement the new rule by the end of 2011, all copilots will be required to obtain Airline Transport Pilot's license which requires at least 1,500 hours of flight experience.