Buffalo, New York – April 18, 2023 – Family members of the Flight 3407 group will be traveling to Washington, DC to attend a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing on April 19, 2023. The hearing is one of a series concerning issues of importance in the upcoming FAA Reauthorization process.
The group is concerned that once again, attempts will be made to tamper with the safety regulations that resulted from the tragic and very avoidable crash of Continental Flight 3407 outside Buffalo, NY over 14 years ago, and are readying for yet another attempt by regional airlines to water down the higher pilot qualification requirements enacted in the aftermath of the crash.
“We will continue to honor the memory of our loved ones who were lost that night by showing up and by resisting any attempts to weaken the safety initiatives that were unanimously adopted by congress and implemented after the crash” said Scott Maurer of Palmetto, Florida, who lost his 30 year old daughter Lorin, an athletic department fundraiser at Princeton University. “Each time there is a legislative process involving aviation, there is a push by the regional airlines to gain concessions and accommodations. Instead, the focus should be on making the profession more attractive to aspiring young pilots and initiatives to make pilot training more affordable.”
The hearing, entitled “FAA Reauthorization- Examining the Current and Future Challenges Facing the Aerospace Workforce”, will be held in room 2167 of the Rayburn House Office Building at 10:00 AM.
“It is truly remarkable that we must keep fighting to keep the safety regulations intact after all this time when they are proven to work” said John Kausner, who lost his 24 year old daughter Ellyce when Flight 3407 crashed less than a mile from their home. “These last 14 years have been the safest period in aviation history. There have been no fatalities due to a U.S. commercial airline crash since Flight 3407 and the heightened safety regulations that were enacted as a result. The standards are working. I can’t bring my daughter Elly back, but the skies are much safer for someone else’s daughter.”