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.