CLARENCE, N.Y. — It was 14 years ago this weekend that 50 people lost their lives when Continental Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center, killing all people on board the flight and one person on the ground.
Friday, representatives from victims' families and the Air Line Pilots Association gathered at the site of the crash to remember and honor the victims.
The families continue to fight for tougher airline safety. Some family members were in Washington, D.C. this week meeting with members of Congress, who are currently debating measures of the FAA reauthorization.
An NTSB report found that the crew failed to recognize that the plane was losing speed. Instead of taking the proper action, the pilot raised the nose of the plane, causing it to lose lift and stall out.
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-D 26) said in a release, "The flight safety standards in place today were borne out of the painful lessons learned when loved ones never made it home. Change didn’t come easy, but the relentless fight of the Flight 3407 families saved countless other families from facing the same unthinkable fate. As Congress debates FAA Reauthorization, we can’t go back. The flying public deserves the highest level of safety, and we remain prepared to defend it."
Air Line Pilots Association President Capt. Jason Ambrosi, who is in Buffalo for the remembrance ceremony, commented earlier at a sub-committee meeting on how changes made after the Flight 3407 tragedy improved flight safety: "Prior to the passage of the Aviation Safety and FAA Reauthorization Act of 2010, the passenger airline industry lost approximately 1,100 passengers in airline accidents over a 20-year period. Since the unanimous passage of that landmark safety legislation, the airline passenger fatality rate has reduced by 99.8 percent. The numerous congressional mandates in the bill created comprehensive changes to how airlines do business and significantly raised the safety bar."
Click here for more on those who lost their lives in the crash and their families' work to fight for tougher airline safety: http://3407memorial.com/.
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