Release #: 18.03
February 15, 2018

Remembering Colgan Air Flight 3407


WASHINGTON, D.C.—Capt. Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), released the following statement today as the “Families of Continental Flight 3407” gathered in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the nine years since the crash:

“Colgan Air Flight 3407 had a profound impact on our industry, and in its aftermath, positive changes in aviation safety emerged. The tireless efforts of the Colgan families to advocate for strengthened pilot qualifications and training requirements was instrumental in helping to pass the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010.

“Since that time, there have been no Part 121 airline accidents with passenger fatalities in the United States, whereas in the two decades prior, more than 1,100 people were killed in U.S. airline accidents. The tenacity and dedication of these families, coupled with the collective efforts of ALPA and other aviation safety organizations, is why our country has, and will continue to have, an unparalleled record in aviation safety.

“Today, the Colgan families are back in Washington, D.C., fighting attempts to weaken these vital safety rules. As we have for nine years, ALPA stands by the Colgan families, and together, we will work with Members of Congress to keep these hard-won, safety-focused training, qualification, and experience requirements for new airline pilots from being diminished.”


Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 59,000 pilots at 33 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit the ALPA website at alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org