Clarence air crash probe is accelerated
Federal safety board plans to finish by first anniversary of Feb. 12 tragedy
Published: November 17, 2009, 1:21 pm
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WASHINGTON — The federal agency investigating the Feb. 12 crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence Center plans to finish its probe by the first anniversary of the crash and has shifted resources away from other accident investigations to get the job done.
Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said after a National Press Club luncheon Monday that a number of reasons prompted her and her management team to accelerate the investigation of the Clarence crash, which claimed 50 lives.
"I think that from the public's perspective, from the families' perspective, from the policymakers' perspective and from the NTSB's position, this is one of the most significant accidents we've investigated in the last couple of years," she said. "We think there's a benefit in trying to get it done quickly."
Not only did the crash result in a large number of casualties, but it also touches upon a number of important air-safety issues, such as pilot fatigue and training, she said.
"I certainly think the timing and the level of interest and the organization that the family members have shown are very significant," Hersman added. "I've met with several of them regularly, and I think they're very ambitious in terms of what they want to accomplish. I think they'd like to see this done quickly, as would I."
The Clarence accident and a June subway crash in Washington, D.C., have been pushed to the top of the safety agency's list of priorities, she said.
"Unfortunately, though, in order to accomplish this requires resource drain from some of the other investigations," Hersman said. "That means some of the other accidents may have a longer timeline."
The safety board, which also investigates rail and bus accidents, may take as long as two years to complete some of its probes following the decision to divert resources to the Clarence and Washington investigations, Hersman said.
Hersman's comments came after her luncheon speech dwelling on the relationship between the agency and the press.
In the questioning that followed her speech, Hersman — who as a matter of policy does not comment on ongoing investigations — did not offer any new information about the Clarence crash.
But she did note that her agency's May hearings about the crash had already prompted an unusually strong reaction from Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Congress has written new safety measures into legislation that is pending on Capitol Hill, and the FAA accelerated its efforts to revise rules regarding pilot fatigue, she noted.
"I think the safety board serves as a catalyst, and other people have taken the information we've presented and run with it," Hersman said.
During the questioning, Hersman spoke about pilot fatigue, stressing that it is an issue not only for the crew of Flight 3407, whose co-pilot flew despite having a cold and despite having spent the night before on red-eye flights from Seattle to Newark, N.J.
A 2007 investigation into a Shuttle America runway overrun in Cleveland found that the pilot had just one hour of sleep in the previous 30, Hersman noted.
"Unfortunately, we find fatigue after more accidents than you would think," she said.
A 2007 study found that many regional airlines did not have written policies that allow pilots to call in fatigued and not fly, although most major airlines did, she noted.
Pilots at Colgan Air, which operated Flight 3407 for Continental, complained to The Buffalo News earlier this year about their fatigue policy, saying they were often pressured to fly when tired or sick.
"If people are not fit to be able to be in the cockpit, they have to be able to report in without fear of reprisal," Hersman said. "If they will not call in fatigued and fly anyway, that's a problem."
Hersman said the safety agency repeatly finds that pilots are not adequately trained.
She noted that a 2004 Pinnacle Airlines crash claimed the lives of two pilots who did not receive adequate training in the "stick pusher" and "stick shaker," which had to be used properly in order for the plane to recover from a stall.
Pinnacle owns Colgan, and investigators have already concluded that the Colgan crew mishandled the stick shaker and stick pusher in the crash of Flight 3407.
President Obama appointed Hersman to head the safety board this summer. She has been a member of the board since 2004.
The safety board is an investigative agency with no regulatory power, and it has been pushing for new regulations on issues like pilot fatigue for years but has often seen its recommendations ignored by the FAA.
"We, unfortunately, get involved when it's too late — when there's already been a crash," Hersman said.
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