Last year, the Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, New York opened a can of airline safety worms – poor pilot training, low salaries, pilot fatigue and other safety issues that impact commuter airline safety. Lawmakers cried foul, and passengers were horrified to discover that these small regional airlines are often operated by pilots who may have barely had enough rest before entering the cockpit. In the aftermath of that fatal crash that killed 50, the Federal Aviation Administration set up a program of remedial measures to enhance commuter airline safety and prevent crashes.
This week, the agency announced that it has been able to enhance safety at these airlines. In a report released on Tuesday, the FAA said that this enhanced safety was the result of increased federal oversight of pilot training and efforts by airlines to identify problem pilots. The agency has been especially concerned over the issue of inexperienced and poorly trained pilots at these regional carriers. Its report now says that 90 percent of regional carriers have some kind of procedures in place to identify and track “weak” pilots. The report says eight airlines failed to have such procedures in place, but most of these airlines have either shut down operations since last year or have merged with other airlines.
Aviation accident lawyers may also be encouraged to know that the FAA is working with pilot unions to address issues of pilot distractions in the cockpit. After the Colgan crash, voice recorders recovered from the wreckage showed that the two pilots had been engaged in idle banter just before the crash. The agency is hoping that commuter airlines can develop and strengthen professional standards for pilots in the cockpit. The FAA also says it is looking at the major national carriers to share best practices and safety data with their regional partners.
Of course it’s far too early to tell if the FAA’s optimism is well-placed. It’s barely a year since the Colgan crash when the public realized what plane crash lawyers have long been aware of – that these airlines are often staffed with ill trained, inexperienced and underpaid pilots. These are deeply entrenched systemic problems that may not disappear over 11 months of federal oversight.
