Buffalo, New York; February 11, 2024 – Monday, February 12, 2024 will mark the 15th anniversary of the tragic and preventable crash of Continental Flight 3407 operated by Colgan Air, that took the lives of all on board and one man on the ground. Our lives were forever altered that night. We lost cherished loved ones and sadly, the world lost many extraordinary and vibrant people who still had so much to give.
This milestone anniversary also marks the passing of another year – 15 in all – without a single fatal U.S commercial airplane crash. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the effectiveness of the landmark safety reforms enacted in the wake of the Flight 3407 tragedy with the Airline Safety and FAA Reauthorization Act of 2010. We draw comfort from this extraordinary safety record, knowing that the legacy of our loved ones has helped shape safer air travel.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the Western New York members of the U. S. House of Representatives – Brian Higgins, Nick Langworthy and Claudia Tenney – whose support and hard work ensured that the safety standards from the 2010 legislation were preserved in the House FAA Reauthorization bill.
We wish to thank Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He has been a stalwart champion of our cause for all these 15 years. His tireless efforts have been pivotal in preserving the integrity of the safety standards outlined in the 2010 legislation and in the pending Senate FAA Reauthorization bill.
Furthermore, we extend our gratitude to the Senate Commerce Committee leadership for their efforts to keep these same safety standards intact.
In honor of the lives lost in the crash and in a commitment to aviation safety, we urge Congress to act swiftly and complete the final steps necessary to ensure that the pending FAA bill is enacted prior to the expiration of the current extension on March 8th, 2024. Both the House and the Senate bills preserve the 2010 safety standards and strengthen additional safety measures which address the hiring and training of air traffic controllers and airplane certification concerns.
And finally, we will gather at the crash site at 6038 Long Street in Clarence Center, New York, on Monday Feb 12, 2024, at 5 PM to commemorate the lives of our cherished loved ones and to pay tribute to their memory through a brief ceremony.