Buffalo, New York, July 16, 2023- With a vote on the current US House of Representatives’ FAA Reauthorization Bill approaching, the Families of Flight 3407 urgently appeal to all members of the House of Representatives to unite in support of a bi-partisan amendment offered by Representatives Brian Higgins, Nick Langworthy and Claudia Tenney. This crucial amendment aims to remove a provision allowing for simulator training to replace valuable time in the cockpit. The Family Group is concerned that any weakening of the current standard will put the flying public at risk. Since the current standards were enacted in 2010, there have been no fatal crashes in the US – it’s safest period in commercial aviation history.
“The proposed Higgins/Langworthy/ Tenney amendment stands as a significant stride toward ensuring that the current safety standards remain.” stated Scott Maurer of Palmetto, Florida, who lost his 30-year-old daughter Lorin when Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center, NY. ” We firmly believe that the foundation of the current stellar safety record in US commercial aviation lies in a pilot qualification standard that requires real-world flight experience which cannot be replicated through simulator training. By eliminating the provision that allows flight simulator hours to replace cockpit experience, we can better ensure the expertise and skills of our pilots, ultimately safeguarding the lives of everyone on board. We know that Congressmen Graves and Larson are urging you to vote ‘yes’ for the reauthorization bill and ‘no’ for the amendment. We appeal to the members of Congress to stand up for the safety of the flying public and vote to approve this amendment. If the amendment is not approved, we then ask all members to vote ‘no’ for the reauthorization bill since no bill would be better than any bill that reduces pilot qualifications and airline safety.”