Pilot error claims 50 lives

In an article posted today on CNN.com, the cause of the 2009 crash near Buffalo, NY has been released. Pilot error was cited as the cause of the wreck, which claimed 50 souls, including one person on the ground. The article listed several reasons that may have lead to the pilot's inability to handle the aerodynamic stall that lead to the crash. Pilot fatigue, unnecessary conversation between pilots during takeoff and landing, adequate training to handle stalls, and record keeping systems that allowed failed tests to be concealed were the major safety problems listed. The safety board ruled that neither Captain Marvin Renslow or first officer Rebecca Shaw noticed the signs that the plane was stalling, and when they did notice it, Capt Renslow reversed the direction he should have pulled on the plane's control column. It was later found that Capt Renslow had failed three pilot tests, but had only disclosed one and later failed two more once employed with the owner of the aircraft, Colgan Air, Inc. Had the total number of failed tests been disclosed, Capt Renslow wouldn't have been employed to pilot the plane.

I am saddened to hear that so many people lost their loved ones over such an irresponsible mistake. It wasn't a terrorist that caused these people to lose their lives, it was on of our own Americans who was just to full of pride to admit that he needed more training or was possibly too fatigued to pilot the plane. If he had been more prepared, or less chatty and more serious about his job this tragedy could have been avoided and those people would still be here.

Jennifer West, whose husband Ernie perished in the crash, stated that "knowing the cause of the crash is more difficult than not knowing" I agree that knowing it was the pilots error and not a mechanical malfunction would be a very hard thing to comprehend. Losing a loved one would be hard enough without knowing it could actually be tied directly to two people who could have prevented it. If the trained pilots really felt as though they were too fatigued to fly, it was up to them to say they couldn't handle flying that day. John Kausner, whose daughter Elly perished in the crash, said this about the guilt he was feeling "We were trying to buy a ticket that was most affordable, and unfortunately, we bought her demise" That has got to be the hardest burden a parent has ever had to carry.

Flying has been proven to be safer than driving for travel, but reading article's such as this add to the fear of flying in my mind. It is difficult for passengers because we don't know who our pilots are and we have to trust the airlines to make sure proper training is met and only the highest quality of pilots are flying us and our loved ones in the so-called friendly skies.