ATW Daily News

Colgan rebuts overscheduling allegations; Senate plans June hearings

Friday May 15, 2009 var era_rc = { ERADomain: 'atwonline.firstlightera.com' };
Colgan Air attempted to push back against allegations that the pilots of the Q400 that crashed Feb. 12 near Buffalo did not get adequate rest prior to the flight because of possible overscheduling, and the US Senate announced it will hold hearings next month to examine "stunning" issues raised by National Transportation Safety Board hearings on the accident.
At the hearings this week, it was revealed that First Officer Rebecca Shaw had been up for nearly 36 hr. prior to taking the right seat of the doomed aircraft after commuting all night from her home in Seattle, while Capt. Marvin Renslow had commuted to Newark from Tampa on Feb. 9 to begin a two-day trip on Feb. 10 (ATWOnline, May 14). According to NTSB, neither Shaw nor Renslow had accommodations other than the crew room at EWR.
"We want to emphasize that if there was a fatigue issue with [the pilots], it was not due to their work schedule," Colgan said in a statement issued yesterday. "Colgan's flight crew schedule provided rest periods for each of them that were far in excess of FAA requirements."
Renslow was off duty for 22 consecutive hours before the flight and Shaw had been off for three days. "The way they manage their rest time is their own business," Colgan VP-Flight Operations Harry Mitchel told board members. "We hire professionals. They should show up fresh and ready to fly that aircraft."
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), chairman of the Senate aviation operations, safety and security subcommittee, said his panel will hold hearings next month on "gaps in the existing airline safety system." He added, "The disclosures [relating to the Colgan crash] about crew rest, compensation, training and many other issues demonstrate the urgent need for Congress and the FAA to take actions to make certain the same standards exist for

both commuter airlines and the major carriers."

 

Very interesting the way Sen Byron Dorgan worded his statement. Almost sounds like he has an idea where he wants to take this hearing.

"gaps in the existing airline safety system." He added, "The disclosures [relating to the Colgan crash] about crew rest, compensation, training and many other issues demonstrate the urgent need for Congress and the FAA to take actions to make certain the same standards exist for

both commuter airlines and the major carriers."

 

This makes me happy..i hope something good comes of this

 

Didn't I read from a different thread that this was announced shortly after ALPA gave their testimony on the crash?

Perhaps something good can come of this, then again this is the FAA we're talking about. Remember what they did to AA after Southwest got caught doing shady MX?

 

PS: andy171773 - awesome avatar.

 

Hooray maybe Barnie Franks can get us a couple of hours more sleep everynight. On the other hand they could make things worse.

 

No one messes with Brock Samson...glad to know i'm not the only one who knows who that is!

 

I'm sorry, I don't share y'all's optimism. Am I the only one that is a little worried the Congress and FAA may, in their infinite wisdom, try to start regulating what I do, where I do it and when I commute on my days off? If this was a 2-day trip with adequate rest scheduled in BUF for the crew then the only place to point the finger labeled "fatigue" is at the pilots.

 

I don't know if I'm very optimistic either but at least it's a start. I'm writing this congressman right now with my opinion.
I am happy with my company's training but not with some of the other issues mentioned and I'm going to bring it up. It's worth a shot however futile.

 

i also hope good comes of this, cant get anymore to the top then this