On the recordMarch 18, 2010
I would like to start by saying how much I admire the family members of the victims of Colgan Air Flight 3407. They are an amazing group of people. They have advocated tirelessly for a year, making numerous trips to Capitol Hill, all in honor of the beloved loved ones who tragically lost their lives on a Buffalo-bound flight from Newark airport. They have done this with intelligence, with focus, and, given their overwhelming grief--at least as far as I witnessed--no anger, which was amazing to me. I am sure when they go home at night there is a hole in their hearts, and it would be quite human for many of them to be angry, but they have channeled all of that into an amazingly well-focused attempt that now is on the edge of success: to make our commuter flights safer. We all remember the night over a year ago now when flight 3407 crashed in Clarence, NY, and claimed 50 lives. It is a tragic reminder that our Nation's aviation industry is not immune to tragic accidents.
