Airline safety bill

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

In response to the fatal crash in February of a regional airliner in Buffalo, members of Congress introduced a bill Thursday to revamp pilot training.

The investigation of the crash, which killed 50 people, showed that the pilot made a critical mistake in the moments before the crash. He and the co-pilot violated Federal Aviation Administration standards as well.

The bill would mandate better training and require pilots to have 1,500 hours of flight time, up from the 250 currently required, before becoming an airline pilot. It also would require airlines to create mentor programs to help younger pilots.

Under the legislation, airlines would have to change the way they schedule pilots to ease fatigue, which was an issue in the Buffalo crash. Investigators say it is doubtful that either the pilot or co-pilot had a full night’s rest. The co-pilot took a red-eye flight across country the morning of the fatal flight. The pilot apparently spent the night on a couch in an airport lounge for crew members.

The bill, which has bipartisan support in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would also authorize the creation of a database containing pilots’ experience and training. The pilot of the plane that crashed near Buffalo had failed several flight tests but had been able to hide those from his employer.

Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., chairman of the committee’s aviation panel, said the bill is a “comprehensive effort to consolidate what we know industrywide about aviation safety to improve safety performance going forward.”

Still, lawmakers expect opposition from the airlines and the pilots union, which have raised concerns about various provisions. That is a shame. The bill shows Congress has taken a serious look at how it can improve airline safety, and that should be the goal for everyone.