In 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in the Buffalo, New York, metropolitan area, killing all 49 passengers and crewmembers on board and one person inside the house into which the Bombardier Dash-8 Q400 crashed. The extensive post-crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the pilots were completely at fault. The captain allowed the airplane to get slow during the ILS approach to Runway 23 at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (KBUF). Instead of applying proper stall recovery techniques when the stick shaker deployed, the captain pulled back on the yoke, bringing the airplane into an aggravated stall. At the same time, the copilot retracted the flaps without the captain’s command, exacerbating the situation. The airplane spun straight into the ground.
ATP Certification Training Program
Key Takeaways:
- The 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash led to significant reforms in airline pilot certification, mandating an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate for airline pilots and increasing flight hour requirements to 1,500 hours for first officers.
- A core component of these changes is the ATP Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP), a costly ($5,000) but often airline-funded prerequisite for the ATP written exam, involving intensive ground and full-motion simulator training.
- The ATP-CTP curriculum focuses on crucial safety topics like high-altitude aerodynamics, advanced stall prevention techniques, and strict adherence to sterile cockpit procedures, directly addressing factors contributing to past aviation accidents.
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