While They Knew What To Do, They "Did Not Do It"

Colgan Air says that the pilots of Flight 3407 had been through thorough initial and recurrent training prior to the accident which claimed 50 lives last February, but for unknown reasons, they "did not use their training in dealing with the situation they faced."

In a written statement, the airline said "We want to reiterate our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the accident, including five of our employees.  We want to make clear again that our pilots are highly trained to handle all situations they may encounter. Like all Colgan pilots, Captain Renslow and First Officer Shaw had thorough initial and recurrent training on how to recognize an impending stall situation and recover from it."

"By all accounts, Captain Renslow and First Officer Shaw were fine people. But they knew what to do in the situation they faced that night a year ago, had repeatedly demonstrated they knew what to do, and yet did not do it. We cannot speculate on why they did not use their training in dealing with the situation they faced."

Colgan says that, since the accident, the airline has examined every aspect of its operations to make sure that everything that could be done was being done. As a result, Colgan says a number of important and specific steps have been taken to further enhance all of its training and hiring programs.

"We want to make clear that we have repeatedly proven our commitment to safety," the statement reads. "With the acquisition of Colgan Air in 2007, we immediately began to invest millions of dollars in upgrades to crew training, operations, leadership and equipment, and we continually work to enhance all of our programs because we are totally committed to safety. There can be no greater priority.

Prior to the accident, we had also proactively begun to adopt a full range of voluntary safety initiatives recommended by the NTSB and the FAA and did so before any calls were made for such programs to be mandatory. With these investments, we have established the same or better capabilities as every other major carrier in the United States."

Colgan says it will review the findings and recommendations of the NTSB closely, and will work with its industry colleagues and regulators to reinforce this primary industry objective.

FMI: www.colganair.com