Flight 3407 Families Prepare for NTSB and House Hearings – Issue Their Own ‘Call to Action’ for the FAA and Senate Finance Committee

Buffalo, New York- January 29, 2010 – The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public hearing on the final accident report for Continental Flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, on Tuesday, February 2nd, at 9:30 a.m. in the NTSB Conference Center in Washington. Over sixty members of the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ are expected to be in attendance, and as the final chapter in the investigative phase is completed and the one year anniversary approaches, the group is calling for quicker action from two key government entities to prevent a repeat of this tragedy. (more…)

Flight 3407 Families To Be Featured on PBS FRONTLINE’s ‘Flying Cheap’ – A Hard Look at the Regional Airlines

Buffalo, New York- January 25, 2010 – PBS FRONTLINE will air a one hour special Tuesday, February 9th, at 9 p.m. ET entitled ‘Flying Cheap’ – a revealing look at the inner workings of the regional airline industry. The documentary will explore many of the issues brought to light by the tragic crash of Continental Flight 3407 on February 12th, 2009, killing all forty nine aboard the plane as well as one person on the ground. In particular, it will feature telling interviews from former Colgan pilots and other industry insiders. (more…)

The Memory of 9/11 Widow Beverly Eckert Burns Bright; Flight 3407 Families to Attend Senate Hearing on Aviation Security

Buffalo, New York- January 19, 2010 – Continuing their push for passage of the FAA Reauthorization Bill, the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ announced that they would attend the Commerce Committee’s hearing on Aviation Security, to be held Wednesday, January 20th, at 2:30 pm in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The hearing topic has special significance for the family of passenger Beverly Eckert, who lost her husband Sean Rooney in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and became a fierce advocate for homeland security reform. (more…)

‘Who’s Flying Your Airplane?’ – Flight 3407 Families Spotlight The Buffalo News’ Series on Pilots, Regional Airlines

Buffalo, New York- January 14, 2010 – As the Senate reconvenes next week and the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ continue their push for the passage of the FAA Reauthorization bill, the group praised The Buffalo News for its recent four-part series (http://www.buffalonews.com/specialreports/whos_flying_your_airplane/) on the state of pilot experience and training, particularly at our nation’s regional airlines. (more…)

Flight 3407 Families Endure the Holiday Season Without Their Loved Ones

Buffalo, New York- January 4, 2010 – As Americans across the country celebrated the holidays with family gatherings, religious observances, and gift giving, it was a different feeling for the families of victims of Continental Flight 3407. Nearing eleven months after the Continental Express flight operated by Colgan Air crashed into a home in Clarence Center, New York, taking the lives of forty nine passengers, an unborn baby, and a person on the ground, their families experienced their first December holiday season without their loved ones. (more…)

Flight 3407 Families Criticize Babbitt, Obama Administration for Pro-Industry Stance on Raising Pilot Minimum Qualifications

Buffalo, New York- December 9, 2009 – Members of the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ strongly condemned the prepared statement of FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, to be delivered at Thursday’s Senate Aviation Subcommittee’s oversight hearing on the FAA’s Call to Action safety Initiatives, coming out against a Congressional initiative to mandate higher experience requirements for all commercial airline pilots. (more…)