After FAA Bill’s Anti-Safety Amendment Narrowly Passes the House, Flight 3407 Families Shift Focus to Conference Process

Praise Schmidt, LoBiondo, Reed, Cravaack, 21 Other Republicans for Standing Up for Safety

Buffalo, New York- April 4, 2011 – After the Shuster Amendment that would jeopardize current and future FAA safety rulemaking efforts narrowly passed the House by a 215-209 vote, the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ turned their efforts to the conference process and preventing the language from being included in the final FAA Reauthorization Bill. They also thanked the 25 Republicans who joined with 184 Democrats in opposing the amendment. (more…)

Flight 3407 Families Declare Shuster FAA Amendment a Referendum on Safety; Ask All House Republicans to Vote FOR Safety and AGAINST Catering to Special Interests

On House Floor, Shuster Refuses to Withdraw Amendment and Insists It Will Not Have Impact on Current Safety Rulemakings; Legal Counsel Predicts Otherwise

Buffalo, New York- April 1, 2011 – With a make-or-break safety vote looming Friday morning on the Shuster amendment to the House’s FAA Bill, the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ made a last-minute appeal to all members of the House Republican Caucus to vote “NO” on the poorly-worded, anti-safety language that would seriously jeopardize the landmark regional airline aviation safety legislation passed last summer.

(more…)

Flight 3407 Families Make Final Appeal to Mica, Petri, Republican House Aviation Subcommittee Members to Stand Up for Aviation Safety and Vote Against Shuster Amendment

Buffalo, New York- March 31, 2011 – As the House readies to take up debate on its version of the FAA Bill and the amendments to it later this afternoon, the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ issued a plea to Chairman John Mica (R-FL) of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Chairman Tom Petri (R-WI) of the House Aviation Subcommittee, and all Republican members of the Aviation Subcommittee to vote against Rep. Bill Shuster’s (R-PA) amendment that would significantly handicap the FAA in its efforts to address aviation safety issues through the rulemaking process. (more…)

Flight 3407 Families Ask for ‘NO’ Vote on Shuster Amendment; Threat to All Future FAA Safety Rulemakings

Buffalo, New York- March 31, 2011 – As the House Rules Committee voted along party lines to disallow a move to strike the controversial Shuster amendment from being considered on the House floor, the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ appealed to all members to vote ‘NO’ on the amendment when the House considers the FAA Reauthorization Bill on the floor today and tomorrow. (more…)

Flight 3407 Families Blast Shuster Amendment as Attempt to Sabotage Critical FAA Safety Rulemaking As Well As Entire Safety Bill; Puts Campaign Contributors Before Safety

Buffalo, New York- March 30, 2011 – As the House prepares to bring its version of the FAA Reauthorization Bill to the floor later this week, the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ strongly condemned an amendment introduced by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA). The amendment, which is in response to complaints from cargo and non-scheduled air carriers regarding the FAA’s flight and duty time Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, seeks to cripple the FAA’s efforts by imposing additional requirements on the rulemaking process that are intended to grind the long-overdue reforms to a halt. The bill could also drastically impact every safety initiative contained in PL 111-216, the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010, the landmark aviation safety legislation that the family group helped push through Congress in response to the crash of Continental Express Flight 3407 operated by Colgan Air in February 2009. (more…)

Top-Ranked Ohio State Men’s Basketball Team to Honor Flight 3407 Victims in Saturday’s ESPN Game vs Wisconsin on Two Year Anniversary

Buffalo, New York- February 11, 2011 – In honor of the lives lost in the crash of Continental Flight 3407 on February 12th, 2009, and the efforts of the victims’ family members to fight for stronger aviation safety regulations, the #1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team will commemorate the two-year anniversary of the crash by wearing 3407 patches on their uniforms in Saturday’s nationally-televised game vs #13 Wisconsin (2 pm ET tipoff on ESPN). (more…)

Flight 3407 Families Condemn Inhofe FAA Amendment; Would Sabotage Long-Overdue Fatigue Reforms

Buffalo, New York- February 10, 2011 – Just two days prior to the two year anniversary of the tragic crash of Continental Flight 3407, the “Families of Continental Flight 3407′ lashed out at an amendment put forth by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), which they say would severely undermine their push for new flight and duty time regulations. These revised regulations, which have been at the top of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Most Wanted List for over twenty years, have been a top priority for the group ever since the NTSB’s investigation focused on the impact of pilot fatigue on the crash.

(more…)

Commemorating Two Year Anniversary of Crash, Flight 3407 Families Journey to Washington to Attend FAA Hearing and Reach Out to New Congress

Buffalo, New York- February 4, 2011 – In advance of next Saturday’s two year anniversary of the tragedy that took the lives of their fifty one loved ones, the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ announced that group members would be in Washington on Tuesday, February 8th to continue their push for higher safety standards at our nation’s regional airlines. The group’s plans include meetings with the leadership and new members of the Aviation Subcommittees in both House, as well as attendance at a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing on the FAA Reauthorization Bill at which FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt will be testifying.

(more…)

Flight 3407 Families Applaud DOT Action on Ticket Disclosure; Challenge US Airways and Online Ticket Agents to Quickly Comply

Buffalo, New York- January 12, 2011 – The ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ praised the Department of Transportation for releasing as promised its guidance on new regional airline disclosure requirements (http://airconsumer.dot.gov/rules/guidance.htm), and called for all online ticket agents, in particular, US Airways and websites Expedia and Travelocity, to take expedient action in doing away with the currently misleading use of mouseovers, symbols, and hyperlinks.

(more…)