Blame The Pilots

The NTSB recently issued its finding of probable cause in the February 12, 2009, crash of a Colgan Air Inc., Bombardier Dash 8-Q400, operating as Continental Connection Flight 3407 while on approach to the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport in Buffalo, New York. All 49 aboard, plus one person on the ground, died when the regional turboprop entered a stall and the flight crew failed to recover. To a total lack of surprise among those following the aftermath of this tragedy, the Board found the accidents probable cause to include a litany of failures in the cockpit and Colgan Airs procedures involving airspeed control in icing conditions. The NTSBs report included 46 conclusions and resulted in 24 recommendations to the FAA.

Key Takeaways:

• The NTSB determined the 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash, which killed 50 people, resulted from the crew's failure to recover from a stall, citing significant cockpit failures (unprofessional conduct, poor control inputs, fatigue) and company procedural shortcomings.
• The article suggests these specific cockpit issues were broadly representative of pilot quality challenges within the regional turboprop and jet sectors.
• It strongly criticizes congressional proposals to mandate minimum flight hours for pilots, arguing that the quality and nature of training are far more crucial than simply increasing the quantity of hours.
• Ultimately, the author asserts that the U.S. airline system receives the pilot quality it is willing to compensate for, and effective solutions require improving regional pilot training and scheduling quality rather than just increasing flight hour minimums.

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