Schumer Urges FAA Nominee to Reevaluate Criteria for Airline Training Manuals and Examine Safety Concerns Related to Pilot Training, Compensation and Rest

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SCHUMER URGES FAA NOMINEE TO REEVALUATE CRITERIA FOR AIRLINE TRAINING MANUALS AND EXAMINE SAFETY CONCERNS RELATED TO PILOT TRAINING, COMPENSATION AND REST

Schumer, In Personal Meeting, Urges FAA Nominee Randy Babbitt To Address Safety Concerns Revealed By Investigations Into The Crash Of Flight 3407

Urges Increased Regulation Of Pilot Training, Compensation And Rest, Increased Scrutiny of Airline Training Manuals, And Rapid Implementation of NTSB Safety Recommendations

Schumer: Working With A New, More Effective FAA, We Must Prevent Another Tragedy Like The Crash Of Flight 3407

United States Senator Charles E. Schumer today met with J. Randolph ("Randy") Babbitt, President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Federal Airline Administration (FAA), and urged him to address glaring holes in the nation's air safety system brought to light by the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 and last week's National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing. Schumer asked that Babbitt examine: the changes that need to be made in FAA's oversight of pilot training and compensation; FAA oversight of airline training manuals; NTSB's "Most Wanted Safety Regulation" list; and the FAA's program to report bird strikes.

"To garner the support he needs in the Senate, Mr. Babbitt must show he has a clear game plan to address the gaping holes in our nation's air safety system revealed by the tragic crash of Flight 3407," said Schumer. "For too long the FAA was governed by political hacks whose only concern was cutting cost, leading to lax safety oversight and endless flight delays. I believe Mr. Babbitt intends to face these challenges head on, and, combined with new leadership in the Department of Transportation and the White House, also intends to greatly improve the comfort, safety, and efficiency of our nation's air transportation system, but we need to hear some details."

Schumer asked that Babbitt examine the following:

FAA Oversight of Training Manuals: Currently the FAA requires a final sign off of all airline pilot training curriculum, and Colgan Air, Inc, the airline that operated Continental Connection Flight 3407, has a curriculum that is in full FAA compliance. However the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has indicated, as a result of its hearings on the crash of Flight 3407, that Colgan's pilot was not properly trained to use an anti-stall device on the aircraft. This disturbing disconnect - an airline's training curriculum was fully approved by the FAA, yet its pilots received no training on a critical safety device - is cause for concern. Schumer asked Babbitt to reexamine the FAA's requirements for airline training curricula. This follows a letter Schumer sent last week to Secretary LaHood with a similar request.

FAA Regulation of Pilot Compensation, Training, And Rest: Flight 3407 made clear that pilots are often undercompensated and under rested - the co-pilot on the flight earned a measly $16,000 a year and had just completed an overnight flight across country. It was also revealed that the crew violated "sterile cockpit" rules that prevent crews from discussing non-flight related matters below 10,000 feet. Schumer said the FAA needs to crackdown on issues of pilot rest, compensation, and training, especially with these young airlines that seem to be prioritizing issues of saving money, and not issues of safety.

NTSB's Most Wanted Safety Regulation List: The NTSB has a list of safety recommendations that the FAA has yet to implement. For example, flight 3407 highlighted the fact that NTSB and FAA have differing recommendations as to how a pilot should handle an icing condition, and that the NTSB first asked FAA to adopt the NTSB's recommendation 12 years ago, to no avail. Schumer, along with Senators Rockefeller and Dorgan, called for an official GAO investigation into why a lag exists between the time NTSB makes a recommendation and FAA formally adopts it. Today, Schumer asked Babbitt to examine the list of safety recommendations and implement them as soon as possible.

FAA Bird Strike reporting requirement: Currently the FAA's bird strike reporting program is on a voluntary basis, and data was recently released that shows that only 20 percent of strikes are reported. This data, which also showed that airplane collisions with birds have more than doubled at 13 major U.S. airports since 2000, was released in the shadow of US Airways Flight 1549 which made an emergency crash landing into the Hudson River after the plane's engines came into contact with four birds. Today Schumer asked Babbitt to make the reporting program mandatory so that the FAA and airports across the country can asses the danger posed by birds and other wildlife.

The FAA is the primary body governing the safety of non-military aviation. The agency issues and enforces minimum standards covering manufacturing, operating, and maintaining aircraft, and they also certify pilots and mechanics. The National Transportation Safety Board, also a federal agency, is charged with investigating aviation accidents, then making a series of safety recommendations to the FAA with the hopes of preventing future similar incidents. The NTSB is currently investigating the crash of flight 3407 and is expected to issue a report within a year.

FAA nominee Babbitt's Senate confirmation hearing takes place today at 11am.

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