Congress Passes Aviation Safety Bill

On Friday, Congress passed a major bill on aviation safety in response to last year's crash of Continental Flight 3407 that was en route to Buffalo, New York, according to the Associated Press.

The bill applies to all airlines and is the first real attempt to revise the rules regarding pilots in decades. Under the bill, airlines are required to hire more experienced pilots, investigate pilots' past experience more thoroughly, supply better training and requires a change in pilots' work schedules to avoid fatigue-related incidents.

The House approved the bill last week. President Obama is expected to sign the bill by Sunday.

Pilot error was deemed the cause in last year's Continental crash. Congressional members praised the family members and friends of that flight's victims, who lobbied heavily for the measure. Sen. Schumer said in a statement: "This is a textbook example of a small group of people who, with only right on their side, were able to overcome large and powerful special interests."

Comments

[Tom Nut]

10:00 AM on 08/06/2010

Buffalo was a terrible thing to happen. I feel so much for the families and their pain, and I understand why they pushed this. But the reason I understand is their lack of knowledge of why.

Hours mean NOTHING. I'm sorry but they don't. The US air force puts guys with 200 hours in a C5 Galaxy and lets them fly out troops around. In the rest of the world, the hours requirements are much lower because the training is much more intense. They seam to be safe! and what about europe?

I can't copy and post all the requirements, but read this to see what the Europeans have to go through or me if I want to work in Europe: http://www.faatojaaconversion.com/conversion-process/multi-pilot-time/

Training would have prevented that accident, not 1500 hrs drilling holes in the sky over Florida.

[captric]

12:16 AM on 08/02/2010

This bill will do nothing to improve airline safety

[tom90069]

07:15 PM on 07/30/2010

why are they voting on this job killing bill. aren't there some unfunded mandates for the airlines we need to pass?

[ButchManowski]

06:58 PM on 07/30/2010

At first, I asked myself “How'd this get through the Senate?

Then I remembered.
Airlines didn't get any bailout money so they couldn't throw cash at their Republicans.