According to a Florida Times-Union story, the parents of a Florida Coastal School of Law student have filed a lawsuit against Continental Airlines for her death last year in a plane crash. Ellyce Kausner, 24, died along with 49 others when a Continental Airlines commuter jet, flown by two tired pilots, crashed over Buffalo, New York. One of the pilots had a year of experience and both complained before the crash that they were tired and inexperienced why trying to fly in an ice storm. Named in the action beside Continental is Colgan Air, the regional carrier, and Pinnacle Airlines.
50 people were killed in the February crash, 49 on the plane and one person on the ground. Kausner was a native of Buffalo and was on her way to visit friends after departing from Newark, New Jersey for the evening flight. The transcript of the last few minutes has been released and the two pilots talk about de-icing, something neither had experience with.
Capt. Marvin Renslow, 47 was commanding a Bombardier Q400 turboprop. Previously he had flunked numerous flight tests, and when the plane started stalling as he and his co-pilot chatted, he did the opposite of what he needed to do to gain speed and altitude.
As the plane dropped to 115 miles per hour, Renslow pulled back on the “stick-pusher” that goes into a dive to regain speed. When he yanked back on the controls he lost lift and started to roll.
It was the deadliest accident in commercial aviation in seven years.
Unfortunately the name Captain Marvin Renslow is now symbolic of the failings of the commuter airline industry and its under-paid, under-trained and exhausted crew, in sharp contrast to the experienced professional Captain Sully who brought his plane artfully into the Hudson, saving everyone onboard.
Just in time for the summer travel season comes word that parents are advised to use child restraint systems when traveling with children on a plane. Many times parents allow children to sit on their laps on flights. But in case of turbulence or even a sudden stop on the runway, experienced travelers will tell you that bodies go flying, including adult bodies. Anyone not strapped in is likely to violently hit their head on the ceiling of the cabin or fall on the floor.
In issuing this Safety Alert - the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says that parents will not be able to hold onto their children during turbulence and survivable aviation accidents. Deaths have occurred in children under the age of two who were not secured in an airline approved seat. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in its official guide, says the safest place for young children in turbulence is in an approved child restraint system, not on an adult’s lap. The NTSB is asking the FAA to make the suggestion a requirement which won’t make some parents happy about having to buy an extra seat for their little one. But then again, when the seat belt sign is lighted, how safe in a child restrained by someone’s arms? Not very. As it stands now, the official policy of the airline industry is that children can ride on their parent’s lap if they weigh less than 40 pounds.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the lax policy for children on planes is not consistent with all other national policies on safe transportation. The AAP recommends a mandatory federal requirement for the appropriate restraint for children on planes. In fact, back in 1996 in a report to the president, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security said it was inappropriate for infants to be granted less protection than older passengers. The Commission recommended the FAA revise its policy then – 14 years ago! Of course that makes sense, what does not make sense is that it’s taken so long to act.
A single-engine plane crash in Winter Haven has killed the pilot but spared his passenger and dog. A 45-year-old male flight instructor of Brooksville crashed shortly after taking off from the Winter Haven Airport. He landed on the side of Highway 92.
When rescuers arrived, they found the man lying on the ground and paramedics were unable to revive him. His passenger, a student, was trapped inside the plane, but rescuers extricated him and took him to Lakeland Regional Medical Center where he is in critical condition. The instructor’s dog, a white terrier named Zulu, survived and was found wandering around the accident site.
Our condolences go out to the family of this pilot family for their tragic loss and to the family of the injured passenger. We will pray that he recovers from his injuries.
Witnesses say the small plane, a 1974 Beech C23, appeared to lose power and crashed into a tree about a mile from the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will both conduct an investigation. The pilot and owner of the plane, who was not onboard, had been working on establishing a charity for underprivileged youth.
Aviation accidents in Florida and throughout the United States occur far too frequently. It is important for pilots to receive proper training before taking flight, especially with others onboard. Plane manufacturers also have an important reasonability of ensuring that components of an aircraft are accurately designed and created.
Source:http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=126072&catid=8
