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, caused by pilot error, fatigue, and sterile cockpit violations, led to significantly stricter ATP certification requirements for airline pilots.
- A major new prerequisite for the ATP certificate is the ATP Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP), an intensive and costly (around $5,000) course covering high-altitude aerodynamics, air-carrier operations, automation, safety culture, and emphasizing stall prevention and sterile cockpit procedures.
- While airlines often cover the ATP-CTP course cost due to the pilot shortage, the program requires additional, dedicated self-study (e.g., using test-prep software) to pass the challenging ATP written exam, which covers a broad range of aviation topics.
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