Colgan Air statement on pilot fatigue

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WIVB) - Colgan Air released the following statement on Wednesday afternoon regarding pilot fatigue.

Allegations have been made that the flight crew of Colgan Air Flight 3407 was scheduled by the company in such a way that it was impossible for them to get adequate rest before the flight. These allegations are inaccurate.

Colgan Air is issuing this statement to clarify its flight crew scheduling policies as the hearing into the accident continues at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) this week.

We want to emphasize that if there was a fatigue issue with Captain Marvin Renslow or First Officer Rebecca Shaw, it was not due to their work schedule. Colgan’s flight crew schedule provided rest periods for each of them that were far in excess of FAA requirements.

Captain Renslow had nearly 22 consecutive hours of time off before he reported for duty on the day of the accident. That was nearly three times the FAA-minimum required rest period. Also, First Officer Shaw had been off work for three days since her last flight.

Like all airlines, we support the right of our pilots to live where they choose. However, it is unclear if Captain Renslow made preparations to get proper rest prior to the flight. It is clear that First Officer Shaw did not reserve adequate time to travel from her home to her base in order to ensure she was properly rested and fit for duty.

Flying fatigued or sick is not an option at Colgan. Like every airline, Colgan must rely on the professionalism of its pilots to fulfill this duty obligation.

Since the accident, Colgan has reviewed its pilot fatigue policy and has either implemented or proposed the following:

• A fatigue awareness program with information to crew members on how to recognize fatigue and also enhancing training programs to include fatigue awareness
• A steering committee Flight Operations Crew representatives
• A fatigue Risk Management process
• Improved fatigue reporting and analysis

For more information, visit www.colganair.com for a newly posted, comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions that clarifies additional information about the accident involving Flight 3407.

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mediarelations@pncl.com