WASHINGTON — The investigation into the commuter-plane crash in upstate New York that killed 50 people in February has exposed the long hours and low pay of some regional airline pilots.
Lawmakers now are wondering whether such working conditions are more widespread and pose safety risks.
Members of Congress said they were stunned by the salaries of the pilots of Continental Connection Flight 3407, employees of the smaller commuter airline Colgan Air Inc. The pilots might have tried to catch some sleep in an airport crew lounge, which is against company policy. The first officer lived with her parents near Seattle and commuted cross country to work in New Jersey.
“All these things raise questions: Are they an aberration, or are FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) standards sufficient? Or are the standards not enforced?” said Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee on aviation.
Aviation-industry experts said the conditions reflect the broad restructuring of the industry after Sept. 11, 2001, when air travel dropped and major airlines began pairing with regional ones.
Witnesses at National Transportation Safety Board hearings this past week said it’s possible that many passengers on Flight 3407 the night of Feb. 12 didn’t know the plane and its flight crew belonged not to Continental, but Colgan Air of Manassas, Va.
The twin-engine turboprop experienced an aerodynamic stall as it neared Buffalo Niagara International Airport before plunging into a house. All 49 people aboard and a man in the house were killed.
Testimony and documents indicate the captain, Marvin Renslow, and co-pilot Rebecca Shaw made several critical errors.
NTSB investigators calculated Shaw was paid just over $16,000. Colgan officials testified that captains such as Renslow earn about $55,000 a year. The company later said Shaw’s salary was $23,900 and that captains earn about $67,000.
Roger Cohen, president of the Regional Airline Association, said lower salaries are an industrywide problem. He denied, however, that safety has been affected.
