[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            STANDING WITH THE FAMILIES OF COLGAN FLIGHT 3407

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, next Friday will mark the seventh 
anniversary of the crash of Continental Colgan Flight 3407.
  The cause of the accident was pilot error due to inexperience. The 
families of those who were lost fought for and won reforms that require 
pilots to be sufficiently experienced before they are entrusted with 
the safety of the flying public.
  But regional airlines are trying to roll back these higher standards, 
claiming that they cannot find enough experienced pilots. That is 
simply not true. The airlines would see that if they increased starting 
salaries for pilots from $16,000 a year to a level commensurate with 
the responsibility they are given.
  Yesterday the Western New York congressional delegation stood with 
the families to serve notice that we will relentlessly oppose any 
attempt to water down these reforms. We will honor those who died by 
ensuring that never again will our loved ones be entrusted with 
inexperienced pilots.

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