Event Will Take Place on the 12th Anniversary of Landmark Regional Airline Safety Legislation
Buffalo, NY – July 28, 2022 – A plaque honoring the aviation safety advocacy efforts of the ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ will be dedicated on Monday, August 1st at the headquarters of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Orville Wright Federal Building.
“For as sad a day as the February 12th anniversary of what was such a highly preventable crash is for everyone in our group, August 1st brings some comfort as we reflect on how we were able to make such a significant difference in ensuring that our loved ones did not die in vain,” stated Karen Eckert of Williamsville, New York, who lost her sister Beverly Eckert, a prominent 9/11 widow and activist. “We hope that this plaque in the lobby of FAA Headquarters will serve as an ever-present reminder to all FAA personnel of how much every single member of the flying public relies on them to be vigilant to the highest level each and every day. And we are so grateful to all the wonderful people, among them the host of congressional staffers who mainly toiled in anonymity, who helped make this all possible and who will be joining us to celebrate this remarkable achievement.”
The 1:00 p.m. dedication will be hosted by Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, and over 50 members of the group will be in attendance. Congressman Brian Higgins of the Western New York congressional delegation and former Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, two key congressional leaders of the drive to pass the 2010 Airline Safety Act, will offer remarks, in addition to current and former FAA, Department of Transportation, and National Transportation Safety Board officials. Additionally, Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles, the crew of the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’, will be present to recognize the group’s accomplishments.
“I would be remiss to acknowledge that it is certainly bittersweet, over 13 years after this crash occurred and with landmark safety legislation and a sterling safety record the results of our relentless advocacy, that there are still efforts afoot to undercut everything that we have fought for,” declared Scott Maurer of Palmetto, Florida, who lost his thirty year old daughter Lorin, an athletic department fundraiser at Princeton University. “Even as we celebrate these safety accomplishments with the dedication of this plaque, this trip marks our group turning our sights forward to the upcoming FAA Reauthorization process. We want all regional airlines and any other stakeholders who might be tempted to spend more money on lobbying Congress to water down key tenets of this safety bill to know that we will continue to be active in our efforts to protect the safety advances that were made as a result of our loved ones paying the ultimate price.”