Majority Statement

• John D. Rockefeller, IV

  Senator
  Read statement

  Majority Statement

  John D. Rockefeller, IV

  The devastating loss of life caused by the crash of Flight 3407 in Buffalo – and the crash of Flight 446 from Brazil to France – are chilling horrific reminders that there is nothing more important in aviation than the safety of all passengers.

   

  As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to investigate the causes of the Buffalo crash, we in Congress absolutely must do all we can to make certain our aviation system is as safe as possible.

   

  Today, we seek to take a hard look at the safety of our aviation system, gain a better understanding of the events leading up to the crash, and discuss more ways we can improve safety for all.

   

  Prior to becoming Chairman of the Full Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in the 111^th Congress, I was the Chairman or Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee for more than a decade. 

   

  I was in this Committee in the mid 1990’s when a series of airline accidents led the federal government to seek “one level of safety” for commercial aviation in the United States – something I fought very hard for.  At that time a commitment was made to all air travelers, whether they were boarding an air carrier at the largest airport in New York, or the smallest in my home state of West Virginia, that safety would be consistent throughout the aviation system.  I strongly believe that all airline passengers in our country deserve and should expect to have this mandate met.

                 

  While the safety of the air transportation network has increased dramatically since the 1990’s, the crash of Flight 3407 reminds us that there is much more work to do - we cannot afford to be complacent. 

   

  The aviation industry has changed rapidly in recent years, and the federal government must keep pace.  Airlines have struggled with their business models, workers have felt the overwhelming effects of cost cutting, and the use of commuter air carriers has increased exponentially.

   

  I am proud to say that at long last, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making progress in modernization efforts that will fundamentally transform the air traffic control system – an effort commonly referred to as NextGen.

   

  We know that NextGen modernization efforts will address the expected growth in passenger traffic, provide increased safety and security, and offer environmental and economic benefits – and we know these reforms must happen now. 

   

  As the FAA moves forward on NextGen, I believe it is imperative that we also conduct a comprehensive review of the federal airline safety regime.  Congress must always make sure we are living up to the promise of one level of safety as we monitor the ever changing airline industry – and not just when tragedy happens.  This must be an ongoing aggressive non-partisan effort.

   

  I am pleased the FAA is moving forward to bring key stakeholders together to begin a dialogue on this matter.  Action cannot wait.

   

  America has always had the premier aviation system in the world and it is vital to the economic future of our nation that we maintain our proud reputation. 

   

  Preserving the public trust in the system means that safety must always be the paramount goal of all aviation professionals.  The time is now – the people are counting on us. 

   

   

   

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• Byron L. Dorgan

  Senator
  Read statement

  Majority Statement

  Byron L. Dorgan

  Good afternoon everyone. I want to thank you all for joining us here today to talk about the important issue of aviation safety.

   

  This is the first of two hearings to discuss aviation safety with particular focus on safety of regional airlines.

   

  In this hearing, we will receive testimony from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General, and an independent safety expert from the Flight Safety Foundation.

   

  In our next hearing on June 17^th, we will hear from airlines and pilots.

   

  In this country, we have a remarkably safe air system. And it’s not my intention here to scare anyone considering taking a flight on a regional carrier. But I do think we have a responsibility to examine crashes when they occur and ensure that we do all we can to prevent further accidents.

   

  We have all heard the story of the tragic crash in February of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Buffalo, NY. This flight was operated by Colgan Air. The plane was a Bombardier Dash 8-Q400. It was operated by a captain and co-pilot who had commuted long distances to get to work and were found to have had little rest before the flight. The co-pilot revealed her inexperience in flying in icy conditions in the transcript of the voice recording. The captain had failed a number of tests. And we’ll hear from the NTSB which has been investigating, but it sounds like the captain just made the wrong decision at the wrong time. I worry that fatigue, training, commuting and salaries all play a role here.

   

  I am concerned about the airlines’ and FAA’s ability to prevent inexperienced pilots from flying planes they are unfamiliar with or in icy weather if they haven’t been thoroughly trained.

   

  We are supposed to have “one level of safety” for both the regional and major carriers. I want to hear from Administrator Babbitt whether he thinks this is actually the case and whether the FAA has kept up with changes in the industry and is able to ensure one level of safety.

   

  I sent a letter to the Department of Transportation Inspector General to ask that they review the FAA’s role in the development and certification of training programs airlines require for pilots, the extent to which FAA can verify pilots are receiving appropriate training, and the ability of the FAA to verify the qualifications of pilots to operate specific aircraft. I am pleased that the Inspector General is here with us today.

   

  I had already sent a letter to the GAO to ask that they study the safety practices in place to prevent icing.

   

  The NTSB appears to be doing an incredibly thorough job trying to gain an understanding of this crash. We need to get to the bottom of this and then find out how to make the necessary changes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

   

   I’d like to again thank you all for being here and then welcome our panelists. Today we have testifying:

  o   Randy Babbitt, Administrator, FAA

  o   Mark Rosenker, Acting Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board

  o   Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General, DOT Inspector General

  o   John O’Brien, Member of the Board, Flight Safety Foundation

   

  -- END --

   

Minority Statement

• Kay Bailey Hutchison

  Senator
  Read statement

  Minority Statement

  Kay Bailey Hutchison

  STATEMENT OF HON. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON,
  RANKING MEMBER
  COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION
  SubCOMMITTEE HEARING on the FAA’s Role in the Oversight
  of air carriers
  JUNE 10, 2009
  

   

  Thank you Senator Dorgan, I appreciate you holding this hearing.  Unfortunately, in the wake of the US Airways “Miracle on the Hudson”, the recent Air accident and the Colgan flight 3407 accident in Buffalo , it is necessary we again direct our attention to aviation safety.   
  
  As I have said in the past, aviation safety, and the public trust that goes along with it, is the bedrock of our national aviation policy and we simply cannot allow for any degradation of service to the flying public.
  
  As we will hear from the FAA, the commercial aviation industry is experiencing the safest period in history.  I commend the FAA and the air carriers for an excellent accident safety record, but recent incidents clearly show there is still much room for improvement. 
  
  The collaborative safety system between the FAA and the air carriers has been effective; however, it is time for that system to evolve.  It is time we effectively tackle some of the most difficult and hard to quantify issues like pilot fatigue and professional responsibility. 
  
  The FAA must make a strong and exhaustive assessment and review of the safety foundation it has in place and start making some tough decisions regarding pilot training, disclosure of pilot history to air carriers, crew rest calculations and cockpit oversight. 
  
  I believe all of our commercial air carriers, including regional airlines, are safe.  However, regional carriers have been involved in five of the last seven accidents since 2001, with four of the five accidents being attributed to pilot error.  This is a troubling statistic.
  
  While each accident in the aviation industry always has its own set of contributing factors and circumstances, I believe these recent incidents warrant a review of how pilots are trained, licensed and certified. 
  
  Each industry has a natural career progression, and the aviation industry is no different.  Pilots have to start somewhere and in many cases in the airline industry they start at regional carriers in order to gain experience. 
  
  However, how pilots are selected and trained prior to pursuing this career path should certainly be analyzed given the issues raised from the preliminary findings in the Colgan accident.
  
  Thank you, Senator Dorgan; I look forward to the testimony and to working with you on ways to address these important issues.

Opening Remarks

• The Honorable Mark V. Rosenker

  Acting Chairman

  National Transportation Safety Board
  Download Statement (709.49 KB)

• The Honorable Calvin L. Scovel III

  Inspector General

  U.S. Department of Transportation
  Download Statement (86.21 KB)

• The Honorable J. Randolph Babbitt

  Administrator

  Federal Aviation Administration
  Download Statement (106.16 KB)

• Mr. John O’Brien

  Board Member

  The Flight Safety Foundation
  Download Statement (232.96 KB)