I find it troubling that the investigation into the crash of the Colgan Air Dash-8 earlier this year in Buffalo has focused on the pilot and co-pilot chatter in the cockpit prior to the crash. They are dead and otherwise unable to defend themselves. Their actions are certainly questionable -but it was Colgan Air who hired them.
And what about their families: not only do they suffer the loss of a loved one - but now they have to listen as their loved ones are crucified and, for all intents and purposes, blamed for the death of all the others.
It's a slippery slope - no doubt about it. I just happen to think that the focus should be more squarely on the executives at Colgan Air who allowed these seemingly under-qualified people to fly their planes. And for a hefty compensation of 16K a year. The people who make my coffee at Starbucks probably make more than that. Hell, I make more than that.
And it's getting stinkier at Colgan Air. Last Tuesday, Colgan Air had another incident with a Dash-8 upon landing in Buffalo. (It was captured on tape, too.)
So, yes, the pilot and co-pilot's actions may have contributed to this tragedy. But, you can bet that if I had lost somebody in that crash, the entirety of my ire would be directed at the people who let them into the cockpit.
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We had a Colgan/Continental Dash-8/Q-400 flight from Newark to Albany Tuesday night. I must confess that it was the most nervous I've been in an airplane in a long, long time.
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