Last month’s mid-air collision close to Washington, D.C., marked the first deadly incident in American commercial aviation since shortly after 10 p.m. on February 12, 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 tragically fell from the sky and crashed into a residence near Buffalo, New York. This incident was the 14th fatal crash involving a U.S. airliner in the last 15 years, yet the 2009 tragedy would become a pivotal moment in the landscape of American aviation.
In the years that followed, the crash site evolved into a memorial and a place for contemplation for the 50 lives lost — 49 on the aircraft and one individual in the home. However, for the families mourning their loved ones — such as John and Marilyn Kausner, who lost their 24-year-old daughter Elly in the disaster — the battle that began there is far from over.
“She was intelligent, she was stunning, and the life of every gathering,” John remarked about his daughter.
When the National Transportation Safety Board released its report, it indicated that pilot error led to the airplane stalling and nosediving. Furthermore, it was uncovered that the pilot had not been honest about failing previous flight tests.
These revelations galvanized the families of the victims into action. They united and advocated for the government to enact a federal airline safety legislation, resulting in mandatory 1,500 hours of flight training for co-pilots, the establishment of a pilot performance database, and a rule that requires pilots to have 10 hours of rest before flying.
The Kausners brought along posters of the victims during their visits to Washington, D.C., “to personalize the tragedy,” Kausner explained.
Ron Aughtmon lost his uncle John Fiore, a veteran committed to public service.
“We refer to ourselves as the family we never wished for,” Aughtmon said about the families of other victims. “Few people recognize what flight 3407 represents, and our mission is to ensure that we keep our loved ones and the pursuit of airline safety in the public eye.”
Even now, the families continue to advocate for the preservation of those regulations as regional airlines seek to loosen pilot training requirements.
The mid-air collision in D.C. last month ended what had been the longest period of safety without a fatal crash in American commercial aviation. Nearly 16 years had elapsed since the Colgan Air disaster.
“When we learned of it, it brought back memories. It was tough, but our thoughts immediately went to those families and their current struggles,” Marilyn Kausner reflected.
The 3407 memorial serves as a poignant reminder of their grief and the changes they fought tirelessly for. Marilyn also states that the other families impacted by flight 3407 have now become like her own.
“It’s how I could feel close to her, and I believe our success came from…working together,” Marilyn shared.
It’s a community they never intended to join, yet it’s one they now cannot imagine living without.
