Families and Friends of 4184

2011-12-09T09:09:00.008-05:00

12.9.11

As the news develops of the mishandling of our fallen soldiers' remains at Dover Air Force Base, we want to extend our deepest sympathies to those families members affected by this.

You will remain in our thoughts as we know only too well the heartache caused by the gross mishandling of deceased loved ones.

2011-10-24T10:49:00.004-04:00

As we approach our 17th anniversary of American Eagle Flight 4184, I am still taken aback by the lack of oversight of regional airlines. Our friends from Colgan Air/Continental Connection Flight 3407, Clarence Center (outside of Buffalo), NY, Feb. 12, 2009, lost 49 loved ones on-board, with one fatality on the ground. 50 lives gone too soon. The families and friends who lost loved ones that night united shortly after their accident and advocated in memory of their loved ones, as well as for all of us, to raise the standards of aviation safety. They saw legislative success with the passage of The Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 (PL 111-216) which was signed into law on August 1, 2010. (For more background on this Act, please visit their page at: http://www.3407memorial.com/index.php/component/content/article/133-pl-111-216-has-been-signed-into-law.)

This family group, who has tirelessly advocated for over two years, continues the fight with the latest development described below. You might have caught some news reports here in the United States last Friday, however, I wanted to share the family groups statement from this morning (October 24, 2011) as this has to stop.

Jen Stansberry Miller

Posted with permission -

Calls on Congress to Look Into This Breach of Responsibility to the Flying Public

Buffalo, New York- October 25, 2011 – In the midst of an aviation safety crusade that has encompassed over forty trips to Washington to fight for stronger standards and oversight of regional airlines, the 'Families of Continental Flight 3407' lashed out at Colgan Air over the release of internal company email correspondence that once again brought the training credentials of Flight 3407's pilot into question. Kevin Kuwik, who lost his thirty-year-old girlfriend Lorin Maurer in the crash, and is not party to any legal action against Colgan or Pinnacle, issued the following statement calling on Congress to investigate why Colgan was not completely forthcoming in initially providing this documentation to NTSB investigators over two-and-a-half years ago:

"Once again, Friday's email revelation ripped open old wounds for myself and all of us, as we are once again reminded that this tragedy was very preventable on the part of Colgan Air, and that Lorin and every other victim that night should still be brightening our lives each and every day. No matter how hard Colgan may try to lay this squarely at the feet of the crew and their actions that night, we have learned that Colgan's approach to training and safety prior to the crash certainly left a lot to be desired, and this revelation is just one more unfortunate example of that.

“For over two years now, I and other members of our group have dedicated ourselves to the cause of ensuring that our flying public has a true 'One Level of Safety', and that the likes of Colgan and Pinnacle, and all of our nation's regional airlines, make the same commitment to, and investment in safety and training as their parent carriers do. Critical to this process was the NTSB investigation in the months immediately following the crash, which exposed many of the safety deficiencies on the part of Colgan/Pinnacle, and led to numerous safety recommendations, Congressional hearings, and ultimately the signing into law of P.L. 111-216, 'The Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010,' which has been called the most significant piece of aviation safety legislation in the last fifty years.

“In investigating accidents like Flight 3407, the NTSB utilizes a party process, which is heavily reliant on the airlines, manufacturers, and pilot associations that are involved in such a catastrophe. We have nothing but praise for the NTSB's yeoman efforts in completing this thorough investigation and final report in less than a year, which has given tremendous impetus to our efforts to achieve much-needed reforms with our nation's regional airlines. And yet we must not lose sight of the fact that a process like this can certainly call into question the motives of these participating parties who have so much at stake in what the ultimate findings of the investigation are and the determinations that are made in regard to the probable and contributing causes.

"However, regardless of what is at stake in such an investigation, the number one obligation of each and every participating party must be its responsibility to the flying public, and to the cause of ensuring that every possible safety lesson is learned from such a tragedy. And so I find it absolutely inexcusable that Colgan Air did not provide this documentation to the NTSB as part of its initial study of why this crash occurred; certainly the process by which the captain was initially ruled out for upgrade to the Q-400 and then seemingly fast-tracked such a short time later warranted thorough discussion and cross-examination at the NTSB's public hearing in May 2009, and this email likely would have driven that effort. In an industry where there are dynamics of economic challenges, frequent management-labor tension, and forecasted pilot shortages in the future, these internal Colgan deliberations would have certainly spotlighted the issue of how all airlines, particularly regional airlines, screen and select pilots for upgrades. There can be no disagreement over the fact that occupying the left seat in the highly-sophisticated airplanes of today, with human lives entrusted to one's care, is a privilege and not a right.

"So in the interest of being forward-looking and attempting to prevent this from happening again, I am calling on Congress, on behalf of our group and everyone else who flies, to get to the bottom of this egregious breach of responsibility in regards to the NTSB's investigation process. We cannot have involved parties suppressing valuable information for over two-and-a-half years and preventing the NTSB from fully doing its job. I find it to be an insult to the memory of Lorin and everyone else who perished that night, and a blatant disregard for the American flying public, for Colgan and Pinnacle to put the avoidance of legal responsibility ahead of being completely transparent so that every possible critical safety lesson can be learned. It is too late for each and every one of us who has suffered a terrible loss, but we remain completely dedicated to doing everything in our power to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again."

# # #

The ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ group was immediately organized after the crash as a support network and an activist group to work on aviation safety reform. Visit the group’s website at www.3407memorial.com or follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/3407families to learn more about their efforts.

2011-07-16T19:03:00.001-04:00

Our thoughts are with our friends from TWA Flight 800 as

they mark their 15th anniversary this weekend.

2011-04-04T10:48:00.004-04:00

Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends
and all of those touched by Air France 447 during this time of recovery.
May peace be with you all.

2011-04-03T10:51:00.005-04:00

Transportation Disaster Assistance - How We Got Here

The above video can be found on NTSB's YouTube channel. This piece aired at the International Family Assistance Conference hosted by the NTSB in March 2011.

2011-01-27T14:11:00.017-05:00

1.27.11

Family Assistance:
Promoting an International Approach for the Transportation Industry

On March 28 and 29, 2011 - the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is hosting a two day conference in Washington, DC to present their family assistance model to the international community. This model is based off of the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 in which many families and survivors from accidents that occurred in the 80's and 90's had a part in advocating for. This year marks the 15th anniversary of this legislation and we feel it is important to assist the NTSB in promoting this event as none of us ever want to re-live the aftermath we endured after our disasters. This meeting encompasses all individuals who play a role in transportation response, mental health, and other interested parties. For more information about this event, please visit their website at -- www.ntsb.gov/internationalconference

3.14.11

UPDATE

Registration is full

3.6.11

UPDATE

Registration cut off is March 18, 2011

2011-01-27T14:09:00.008-05:00

1.27.11

I would like to take this opportunity to commemorate the fifteen-year milestone of the Family Assistance Act of 1996.

Seventeen years ago, I considered myself one of the lucky ones. I had three beautiful children, loving parents, and my only sibling, Patty, who was exactly one year younger than me to the day. Patty’s two boys were as close as could be with my children.

On October 31, 1994, my life changed entirely when American Eagle 4184 plummeted into a soybean field in Roselawn, Indiana. I lost my sister and her four-year-old son, Patrick, in the crash.

Immediately, I was thrust into a life I could not comprehend. I had expected that my family would be taken care of by the airline. I was wrong. Deepening our grief for months, then years, was a series of revelations that unmasked an industry which, far from taking care of us, prolonged our anguish with their misguided actions and indifference to the human element.
Many families of 4184 met at a preliminary hearing in Indianapolis. It didn’t take long to cement relationships--including with families from prior crashes--that would ultimately ignite a movement that brought forth much-needed changes in airline disaster response. Together, the families advocated reform in memory of their loved ones, with an enlightened future in mind.

I had the honor to work with the compassionate souls at the NTSB to make it possible for families’ voices to be heard and for the Family Assistance Act of 1996 to be passed into law. In my book about the crash, In the Wake of the Storm, I recount my experiences helping to shape that landmark legislation and co-founding the National Air Disaster Alliance. I have been told that my book has been inspirational to many persons from all walks of life, and that it has provided insight to many in the industry seeking to better understand the needs of families.

In retrospect, I have learned life-affirming lessons about the resilience of the human spirit, the capacity of ordinary individuals to achieve extraordinary ends, and the power of hope. On this occasion especially, I wish to recognize the ongoing efforts of dedicated persons in government, from the airlines, and from the families who strive day by day to keep the crucial issue of disaster response and family assistance front and center.

Terri Henry Severin

2011-01-27T14:06:00.014-05:00

1.27.11

The 15th year mark of the

Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996

Almost 17 years ago, lives were shattered as Flight 4184 crashed into a wet soybean field on Halloween night in Roselawn, Indiana. That night I lost my older brother Brad Stansberry, which impacted my life greatly, and all that knew him. His infectious smile and love for life continues to be missed by all.

During those months following, insult added to injury as each day presented a new revelation of the mishaps that occurred during the response process. Destruction of personal belongings, mass burials being conducted without our knowledge, and the sending of random human remains to our family claiming to be Brad and ultimately it was not. We were outraged.

My father wrote a poignant letter to then Congressmen David McIntosh (IN), outlining the mishandling and ways to better improve the response process. This letter caused a stir in Washington, DC, and became one of the many driving forces of change for this industry.

A few families from Flight 4184 joined forces with families and survivors from US Air 427, US Air 5050, US Air 405, US Air 1493, Northwest 255, KAL 007, Pan Am 103, and United 232. We all had similar incidents and complaints, and vowed to effect change. With that, many of us felt that we needed one united front, which prompted us to form the National Air Disaster Alliance/Foundation (www.planesafe.org). We took these issues and successfully lobbied the NTSB, DOT, FAA, US Congress, and ultimately the Clinton White House. During this process the disasters of Valu Jet 592 and TWA 800 occurred, which increased our voice as they joined the fight. After countless hours of advocacy work by many individuals, we saw the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 signed into law. Over the next year or two, many individuals continued to provide input as the policy was fine tuned and developed into a working model. In 1998, this process slowly came to an end with the final report to the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of this legislation and the NTSB is commemorating this with a two day conference to be held March 28 and 29, 2011. They have been asked by fellow agencies worldwide to share what they have learned about family assistance and to present their response model.

Wow!

I would like to take a moment to say to my fellow families/survivors from that time, who would have thought this would have evolved to this level? What a fantastic moment for all of the families and survivors who fought so diligently to effect this change.

To the NTSB - I sincerely appreciate your work in upholding, and improving upon, our initial legislation over the years. You have taken the vision of what we had hoped to see in family assistance and have transcended it into a worldwide vision. Thank you all for your dedication and work.

To the aviation emergency response community - I do know that many of you have worked tirelessly over the years to improve your response and develop your CARE teams/response personnel greatly. I am appreciative of your efforts not to “re-live” the horrors experienced by many of us in the 90’s. Thank you.

To the those who implement this legislation daily in their work - Your hard-work and dedication to this over the years is greatly appreciated.

And lastly, Lori Valeri - I know you’re out there. LOL. Thanks for the getting the ball rolling on this end in 1995 by saying, “you all need to get organized”.

Jennifer Stansberry

2010-12-08T14:22:00.005-05:00

12.8.10

News from the Families of Continental/Colgan Flight 3407

For those who do not recall American Eagle Flight 4184 was an ATR-72 operated by Simmons Airlines on behalf of American Eagle. With that, we understand and support the Families from 3407 efforts in raising awareness to this long standing issue. Here is an email rec'd from the Families of 3407.

Who's REALLY Flying Your Plane?

For this holiday season, we are launching an awareness campaign titled 'Who's REALLY Flying Your Airline?' in which we will seek to raise the flying public's awareness of the practice of code sharing - you may not realize that today over 50% of all daily flights in the US are operated by regional carriers, and the last 6 fatal commercial airline crashes have been on regional airlines. Through our efforts, President Obama signed a comprehensive aviation safety bill into law this past August. Besides numerous improvements in the areas of training, fatigue, and qualifications, the bill also has a simple provision designed to ensure that every seller of airline tickets clearly publicizes which airline is actually flying each flight (the wording of this provision is included below). Of particular concern to us are internet sites where the regional carrier is not prominently identified or is not displayed until the flight has actually been selected.

We could use your assistance in 2 ways:

1) Please go to the internet site or call the vendor who you typically purchase your air travel through and check on a sample itinerary - find out if the regional carrier is identified, and more importantly, is identified in a readily apparent manner. Then please pass along to the person who sent you this email or to our group email (contact@3407memorial.com) which vendor you checked and your level of satisfaction with how they identify the regional carriers.

2) In two weeks, we are going to reach back out to everyone who has participated and ask you to contact the DOT with a complaint on any vendor who we have identified as not being compliant with the new law (we already have one or two in our sights). We will couple this with a media outreach as well - hopefully this will be another way that we can help prevent the tragedy of Continental/Colgan Flight 3407 from ever happening again.

For an example of what to look for on a website, please refer to the screenshot - you can find this by going directly to their website at: http://www.3407memorial.com/whosflying.php

2010-11-05T21:42:00.001-04:00

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those
affected by the crash of Aero Caribbean Flight 883.

2010-10-31T22:07:00.001-04:00

photo by John Watkins - Northwest Times - Indiana

Sixty-eight crosses signify the victims of the 1994 crash of American Eagle Flight 4184 in Roselawn. There were 64 passengers and four crew members aboard the flight that crashed into a soybean field during a freezing rain. Friends and family annually memorialize the event in Newton County.

For a link to all of John Watkins photos, click here:
http://www.nwitimes.com/video-photo-galleries-audio-interactives/photos/collection_3331a6b4-176f-5c19-9925-5b03c6c8b97e.html

2010-10-31T13:07:00.003-04:00

October 31, 2010
Remembering our families and friends that we lost 16 years ago today.
May peace be with all of us touched by 4184.

2010-09-29T15:01:00.002-04:00

NTSB recommendations aimed at preventing plane crashes go unheeded

By Richie Duchon - The Washington Post
News21
Wednesday, September 29, 2010; 12:50 AM

Every year, planes crash in accidents that could have been avoided.

Ice can build up on the wings of a plane like it did in 1997 when a plane trying to land at the Detroit airport lost speed and crashed, killing all 29 on board.

The problem might be a poor repair job. That was the case in 2005 when the right wing fell off of a Chalk's Ocean Airways flight just after takeoff from Miami. Two crew members and all 18 passengers died.

And then there are the times when a pilot is just too exhausted to fly and does so anyway. That is what investigators believe happened in 2004 when a Corporate Airlines plane crashed short of the runway in Kirksville, Mo.

The Federal Aviation Administration lists pilot error as the leading cause of plane accidents, but an analysis of accident data by News21, a national university student reporting project, and the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization, shows that the major causes of air accidents include ice buildup on aircraft, risks on runways, faulty aircraft maintenance and overtired pilots.

For four decades, the National Transportation Safety Board has urged the FAA to take steps to reduce the likelihood of these kinds of accidents, issuing more than 520 recommendations.

But in many cases those recommendations have gone unmet, according to a review of accident data and government documents and interviews with dozens of industry and safety specialists.

Recommendations languish for many reasons: The process of changing rules is long and complex; industries resist expensive fixes; unions fight changes in work requirements; and sometimes years of research and product development are needed.

But many believe that the biggest cause of delay lies with the FAA itself.

Icing conditions

Tricia Coffman still breaks down in tears when she remembers the phone call telling her that her husband died in a plane crash in Pueblo, Colo., along with seven others in 2005.

"Losing him can't be for nothing," she thought. So she joined the National Air Disaster Alliance Foundation, a group that represents survivors and family members of aviation accidents.

Coffman learned that a similar accident had taken place 10 years earlier. When American Eagle Flight 4184 - in a holding pattern over Chicago O'Hare International Airport for 30 minutes - began its descent, the right wing made a dramatic dip, and the plane crashed in Roselawn, Ind., killing all 68 people on board. NTSB investigators said the crash was caused by the plane flying into freezing rain.

Thirteen years earlier, the NTSB had urged the FAA to certify airplanes based on how each craft might respond to different icing conditions. Dozens of letters between the NTSB and FAA from 1981 to 2010 show that the FAA consistently fought the change, citing cost and lack of research.

After the Roselawn accident, the FAA formed a task force to analyze how rare weather events affect certain types of planes. Seven years later, the NTSB fired off a letter urging the agency to "give this rule-making project a high priority."

A year and a half later, the Circuit City-chartered Cessna Citation 560 went down with Coffman's husband on board.

FAA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs Laura Brown said in an e-mail that the agency has stepped up action, issuing several proposed rules and more than 200 directives aimed at reducing icing hazards for specific aircraft, with the result that icing accidents have dropped by half in the past decade.

Still, a Government Accountability Office report released in July noted that at least 188 large passenger flights reported icing problems from 1998 to 2007 and that the FAA has not updated its 1997 plan for improving safety in icing conditions.

Monitoring maintenance

In 2003, a maintenance worker on contract failed to properly tighten a cable on the tail of an Air Midwest plane. His superior missed the error. One day later, the plane took off from Charlotte, N.C., tilted more than 50 degrees upward, stalled and crashed, killing all 21 people on board.

Improper maintenance is the second-leading cause of air accidents and incidents, according to FAA data - responsible, in part, for at least 15,000 accidents or safety incidents since 1973, when the FAA started keeping such records. In these accidents, at least 2,599 people died and 4,189 people were injured, according to a News21 and Center for Public Integrity analysis.

The NTSB issued 21 recommendations after the Air Midwest crash. The FAA still has not implemented two of them: to prohibit the person training a mechanic from serving as the inspector on that same part and to increase oversight of work done by contracted mechanics.

An FAA spokesman said that current inspection practices already address those issues and that the agency has met the intent of the recommendations.

Part of the problem is monitoring the quality of repairs done by hundreds of small and large repair shops here and abroad.

In a written response to questions about oversight of airplane repairs, the FAA said it is doing more to make sure that outsourced repairs meet quality standards by hiring more inspectors and requiring regular audits of maintenance providers.

Recently, the FAA cracked down on some companies for poor maintenance. In 2009, the agency dished out one of its largest fines - $10.2 million - to Southwest Airlines for flying more than 30 planes without inspecting the bodies. FAA inspectors found cracks up to four inches long on some of the planes.

And in late June, the FAA said it would seek a $2.47 million fine against Trans States Airlines and GoJetAirlines, which fly for US Airways, for violating a host of repair procedures. The airlines flew 320 flights using aircraft that were out of compliance with maintenance rules.

Flying fatigued

On Oct. 19, 2004, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 crashed as it approached Kirksville, killing the two pilots and 11 of 13 passengers. The pilots had started their day at 4 a.m. and worked 14.5 hours. In its report, the NTSB noted that "fatigue likely contributed to [the pilots'] degraded performance."

The safety board told the FAA that it needed new scheduling rules for pilots to ensure they are rested. It was the same message the board had delivered at least 30 times before.

The FAA has tried several times to impose more limited shifts and more rest time between shifts, only to meet with opposition from airlines and pilots unions.

In the meantime, fatigue has contributed to more than 320 accidents and incidents since 1971 and killed more than 745 people, according to a News21 and Center for Public Integrity analysis of FAA and NTSB data. That includes a Colgan Airlines flight that crashed near Buffalo in 2009, killing 50.

The accident produced an outcry from family members, safety advocates and politicians, and led to a directive to reduce pilot fatigue that was included in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act, signed by President Obama this summer. The FAA released a proposal for public comment this month.

"It took an act of Congress," said House transportation committee Chairman James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.). "Fatigue is one area that without a doubt has had the greatest resistance by airlines and which the FAA has been sporadic, to say the best."

News21 reporters Stevie Mathieu, Charlie Litton and Tessa Muggeridge contributed to this report - one of several from a project detailing troubles with the U.S. transportation system. The series was reported by journalism students in the Carnegie-Knight News21 program, based at Arizona State University, in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity.

2010-06-29T11:37:00.002-04:00

Bloomberg Business Week

Plane Makers Must Show Freezing Rain, Drizzle Effects, FAA Says

June 28, 2010, 12:14 PM EDT

By John Hughes

June 28 (Bloomberg) -- Aircraft and engine manufacturers must show their new models can withstand freezing rain and drizzle, U.S. aviation regulators said today, expanding rules to cut risks from icing in response to a fatal 1994 crash.

Complying with the requirement would cost $71 million, mostly absorbed by manufacturers such as airplane makers Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS as well as engine manufacturers General Electric Co. and United Technologies Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney, the Federal Aviation Administration said in the proposed rule to be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register.

U.S. air-safety advocates recommended icing rules after a flight operated by Simmons Airlines for AMR Corp.’s American Eagle unit crashed in Roselawn, Indiana, on Oct. 31, 1994, killing all 68 people on board. Freezing drizzle led to a ridge of ice on an Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72, causing the airplane to lose control after holding at 10,000 feet, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in 1996.

The NTSB’s final report recommended that the FAA require manufacturers to ensure new products are tested for all types of icing conditions the aircraft may encounter in flight. The FAA hasn’t previously required manufacturers to show how products can operate in freezing rain and drizzle.

The requirement also covers ice crystals, and a mix of the crystals and freezing rain and drizzle. The FAA reported 14 cases of crystals and mixes causing engine loss between 1988 and 2009, though no fatalities.

The Roselawn crash prompted additional requirements. In 2009, the FAA issued a rule requiring that new passenger aircraft include ice-prevention systems that automatically activate or alert pilots to turn on the equipment.

--Editors: Steve Geimann, John Lear

2010-03-08T13:53:00.000-05:00

Roadside Memorial

We have been asked often over the years how the memorial site came to be.

The Families of 4184 have been blessed with gifts of grace and generosity from many individuals … most of whom were initially strangers to us. These “angels” that have helped to keep the memories of our loved ones alive came forth from many different circumstances. They ranged from local families to those who travel from out of state to maintain the site.

Within the first year following the crash, the Families of 4184 realized the importance of having a monument near the crash site where we, and others, could commemorate our loved ones. Helen Mudd, Julie Gunter, and Chuck Mudd petitioned the local commissioners for permission to utilize a stretch of roadside for the site of our memorial.

We were given permission by the county commissioners to create a roadside memorial within several hundred yards of the field where 68 lives were lost. The commissioners themselves, supporting the families’ desire for a memorial, sought out and delivered what they determined to be the perfect field stone. Onto it they mounted a plaque which reads: In Memory of The Crew and Passengers of Flight 4184, October 31, 1994. To this day, it remains the focal point of our memorial site.

The Mudd family, along with Mike, another local resident, made 68 crosses and cleared the area in preparation for these crosses. On a hot summer day in August they joined Jen Stansberry, Terri Severin, and Terri’s children, to secure the crosses firmly in the ground for the first time. A local florist donated 68 potted plants to set beside each of the crosses for our first memorial service.

A dinner arranged by the Mudds was held at the Roselawn Methodist Church. Members of the church made this event special by preparing food and graciously extending their hospitality by allowing families and friends to utilize their church banquet room.

In time, as more people learned about the memorial site, more reached out to help.

Tom Pope has driven down to the site from the suburbs of Chicago for over ten years to do the major spring and fall clean up. He has reconstructed worn, weathered crosses, repainted loved ones’ names, and made a smaller set of crosses for the winter months to help preserve the larger ones from severe weather.

Mike Guerrero and his two sons, Nathan, 12, and Spencer, 15, local to the area, have worked for over five years maintaining the site.

Lastly, and most recently, the local boy scouts have inquired as to how they can assist.

Those who continue to contribute in making this a special site for the families include the pastors of Roselawn Methodist Church; the women of the Roselawn Methodist Church, who each year prepare meals for the families; a local florist; and others whose names we’ll never know who have given of their time, energy, and resources—all to keep the spirit of commemoration alive.

All these years later, we still hold annual services at this special place, to which so many families are so powerfully drawn.

Thank you to all who have helped to make this informal yet heartfelt site a welcoming place to gather.

2010-01-27T13:12:00.017-05:00

Continental Flight 3407

The Families of 3407 have spent almost a year advocating for change for all of us, in memory of their loved ones who perished on February 12th, 2009. We we alerted to this upcoming special and with the permission of a family member from 3407, we would like to share the email below.

Flight 3407 Families To Be Featured on PBS FRONTLINE's

'Flying Cheap' - A Hard Look at the Regional Airlines

Buffalo, New York- January 25, 2010 - PBS FRONTLINE will air a one hour special on Tuesday, February 9th, at 9 p.m. ET, entitled 'Flying Cheap' - a revealing look at the inner workings of the regional airline industry. The documentary will explore many of the issues brought to light by the tragic crash of Continental Flight 3407 on February 12th, 2009, killing all forty nine aboard the plane as well as one person on the ground. In particular, it will feature telling interviews from former Colgan pilots and other industry insiders.

Although the passengers bought their tickets through Continental Airlines, the flight was actually operated by Colgan Air, itself a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines. "I will forever be haunted by the image of Lorin's itinerary, with Continental written all over it and 'operated by Colgan Air' in the very fine print," stated Kevin Kuwik, who lost his thirty year old girlfriend Lorin Maurer. "The airline industry can make all the claims it wants about there being 'One Level of Safety' among the major and regional carriers, but until Congress and the FAA act decisively, the only similarities between Continental and Colgan in our book will be the paint jobs on their planes, and the flimsy paper their boarding passes are printed on. Not surprisingly, when it came to accepting responsibility in the aftermath, Continental was nowhere to be found - a classic example of the old bait-and-switch."

A preview of this feature can be found at www.pbs.org/frontline/flyingcheap, where beginning on January 28th, additional footage of interviews will be available. It will zero in on the nature of the code share relationships between the parent and regional carriers, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Colgan and other regional airlines.

"Since last May, we have worked diligently to raise the American public's awareness of this inherently unsafe business model," added Karen Eckert of Williamsville, New York, who lost her sister Beverly Eckert. "Hopefully this critical look at the industry by FRONTLINE will give our efforts a huge boost, and open our leaders' eyes to the fact that our loved ones were lost because of airlines competing for contracts at the expense of safety, without effective federal oversight."

The airing of this story will coincide with a concerted push by the family group in the weeks leading up to the anniversary of the crash to get the Senate leadership to consider the FAA Reauthorization Bill. The bill, which includes numerous safety provisions addressing the issues associated with Continental Flight 3407, has been awaiting action by the Senate's Finance Committee since late July.

# # #

The ‘Families of Continental Flight 3407’ group was immediately organized after the crash as a support network and an activist group to work on aviation safety reform. Visit the group’s website at www.3407memorial.com or follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/3407families to learn more about their efforts.

2009-11-23T16:08:00.001-05:00

FAA Takes Aim at Icing with New Ice Protection Proposal

For Immediate Release
November 23, 2009

FAA Takes Aim at Icing with New Ice Protection Proposal

WASHINGTON –The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a rule requiring scheduled
airlines to either retrofit their existing fleet with ice-detection equipment or make sure the ice protection system activates at the proper time.

For aircraft with an ice-detection system, the FAA proposes that the system alert the crew each time they should activate the ice protection system. The system would either turn on automatically or pilots would manually activate it.

For aircraft without ice-detection equipment, the crew would activate the protection system based on cues listed in their airplane’s flight manual during climb and descent, and at the first sign of icing when at cruising altitude.

“This is the latest action in our aggressive 15-year effort to address the safety of flight in icing
conditions,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “We want to make sure all classes of aircraft in scheduled service remain safe when they encounter icing.”

The FAA estimates the rule would cost operators about $5.5 million to implement. Operators would have two years after the final rule is effective to make these changes.

The proposed rule would apply only to in-service aircraft with a takeoff weight less than 60,000 pounds, because most larger airplanes already have equipment that meets the requirements. In addition, studies show that smaller planes are more susceptible to problems caused by undetected icing or late activation of the ice protection system. The rule technically affects 1,866 airplanes, but all turbojet airliners and many turboprops covered under the rule already have equipment that satisfies the requirements, and the FAA believes others will be retired before the projected compliance date in 2012.

In August 2009, the FAA changed its certification standards for new transport category airplane designs to require either the automatic activation of ice protection systems or a method to tell pilots when they should be activated.

Since 1994, the FAA has issued more than 100 airworthiness directives to address icing safety issues on more than 50 specific aircraft types. These orders cover safety issues ranging from crew operating procedures in the icing environment to direct design changes. We also have changed airplane flight manuals and other operating documents to address icing safety, and issued bulletins and alerts to operators emphasizing icing safety issues.

The latest proposed rule on activation of ice protection systems is at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-28036.htm
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2009-11-06T10:31:00.006-05:00

Roadside Memorial Service

10.31.09

We wanted to share the speech the Calderons

grandchildren/nieces/nephew gave to those in attendance.

Read below.

Good Afternoon, I would like to share something. My name is Jackie Calderon and this is Ethan and Sydney. We never met our grandfather (José V. Calderon) and our Uncle (José W. Calderon). But even though we never met them we know so much about them. Pictures and memories that are told to us keep them alive. Even though we wish more than anything that they were on earth with us and not in heaven, we realize that we don’t have a choice.

We know how much you miss your family, also. We are going to put together a little baggie with different items that you can take home. Each item has a different meaning and every time you get sad, take out this bag and remember what each item represents.

Every October leaves fall down from the trees. Not all the leaves fall down at the same time but eventually they will all end up on the ground. Same with us, God calls us at different times, but eventually we will end up meeting them in heaven.
The Cheerio is a circle and goes round and round. It represents the circle of life. Life never ends, it continues up in heaven.
The paper clip binds things together, just like we are bound together to our love ones by our memories. If you keep the memories alive, they will not be forgotten.
Every time you look at the penny, remind yourself how much richer your life is now that you had your loved ones in your life even if it was for a short amount of time.
The heart represents love. Love can never be lost and since we love them so much, they will never be forgotten.

2009-11-03T21:52:00.003-05:00

Below you will find the final reading by Paster Hostetter from the service on 10.31.

10/31/09

15^th Anniversary

Flight #4184

Hebrews 10: 32-36, 39

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.

33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised….39 We are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved. 12:1 Therefore, …let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

We Hostetters have a family reunion every year. Of course, Hostetter is my married name. The Hostetters are my family by marriage, not my family or origin. Still, 29 years ago on a very hot July day, a minister asked me a question to which I answered “I do,” and I became a Hostetter. In that life-altering moment, my life was joined w/a whole lot of people I had never even met, yet. Most of them had no say in the matter, whatsoever. I just became one of them.

We are here today for an annual reunion, of sorts. 15 years ago, you weren’t a family. You were strangers who had never met. Yet, in a life shattering moment, your lives were joined. Your loved ones had no choice over the death that awaited them. It joined them with one another. You never had the opportunity to accept or decline. You just were all joined together.

The passage from Hebrews that I read earlier was initially addressed to a group of people who had suffered together, and as a result, had been joined with one another. It is a suffering that came to them under entirely different circumstances that the circumstance that brought you together. They had recognized the intervention of God in their lives and it had caused them to choose a life of faith, which carried with it the penalties of denying power to this world’s powers and potentates, in favor of submitting to the power of God. They chose to say “I do” to God. The choice offered them immortal joy at the cost of some mortal suffering.

As a result they were insulted, they experienced loss, and their property was at times wrongfully taken or kept from them. Those who escaped personal persecution, but then stood up for others, were then consequently persecuted and reviled themselves.

The choices were theirs to make, but persecution is persecution. Suffering is suffering. Insult is insult. You had no choice and that is a big difference, YET, in some ways the end results is the same.

Through what we call “an act of God,” your lives were shattered. Following that shattering event, you experienced grief and shock, but you also had to suffer the ignorance, callousness, and lack of understanding that too often greets the mourner, the sufferer, and the protesting griever in this world.

Within weeks of a loss, mourners are counseled, cajoled, urged, even chastised to “move on/get over it/get back to normal/achieve ‘closure.” I have seen and heard the lectures given to the grieving by well meaning friends or family. Most often the callousness is more the result of ignorance or mis-understanding than of ill will or insensitivity. Still, it adds to the grief and the trauma.

I have read Terri Severin’s book since the last time we were all together. It tells her experience, yet it must speak for many of you, also. In the face of a life-shattering loss, you were further traumatized and grieved by close friends and distant officials who had no understanding of what you were experiencing.

Somehow, you found one another. You realized that only among the company of others who had shared the same experience could you be understood. There were times you had to stand up for one another. There were times when you supported one another. There were times you comforted one another. There were times you mourned with one another.

As the shards of your lives were slowly me ding and reassembling, you discovered that the new shape of your lives included one another. You became a family of sorts. Through a shattering event of loss and pain, your lives were joined forever. And so, while you are not a family related by DNA or even by marriage, you are a family, which has together suffered loss, misunderstanding, and insult and has endured. You have perservered even in the face of seemingly impossible obstacles. You have learned to accept that which cannot be changed and you have determined to go on with your lives.

You gather here each year, in spite of the pain this gathering recalls, and you rejoice in the lives of those left behind. You rejoice in remembering the lives of those who may no longer be in this world, but who will forever be in your lives. You celebrate the lives they led. You celebrate the growth of those who they left behind. You are reminded that those who perished 15 years ago can never be taken from your hearts and memories. As the author of Hebrews wrote so many centuries ago, you accept the confiscation of their earthly lives from you, because you KNOW that you have the greater gift of their eternal presence with you.

As an enduring tribute to all your loved ones, you now include them all in your larger family. It is a family of those who suffered, but did not retreat. You, your lost loved ones, your extended families are all united in a company of those who would not shrink back and so be (unteligible) but rather had faith to live on and so are saved.

Thanks be to God for the strength given. Amen.

2009-11-02T12:24:00.004-05:00

Our thoughts and prayers are with you today.

TWA - 800 Families

rec'd on 10.31.09 - thank you.

2009-11-01T16:56:00.001-05:00

Crash still stings

American Eagle flight 4184 from Indy to Chicago crashed near Roselawn 15 years ago, killing 68By Melanie Csepiga - Times Correspondent | Posted: Saturday, October 31, 2009 12:20 am |

JOHN J. WATKINS | THE TIMES Fifteen years ago American Eagle flight 4184 crashed into a soybean field south of Roselawn, killing all on board. Terri Severin lost her sister and one of her nephews on that flight. Family and friends of those who died will gather at the site at 3:30 p.m. today for a memorial service.

ROSELAWN | For fifteen years, Terri Severin, Pat Sheriden-Hansen and others have made the trip to a rural Newton County farm field to honor and remember those they lost in the crash of American Eagle flight 4184.

They will be there again at 3:30 p.m. today, when a memorial service will be held followed by a fellowship gathering at the nearby Roselawn United Methodist Church.

"I will always observe the anniversary, whether I am physically able to be in Indiana or not," said Severin, a suburban Chicago woman who lost her sister Patty Henry and nephew Patrick Henry. "There's no closure to any of this. It's a lifelong journey of healing."

The 64 passengers and four crew members died at 3:30 p.m. on that rainy, cold Halloween 15 years ago when their commuter flight from Indianapolis to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport crashed into the soybean field south of Roselawn. It had encountered freezing rain that caused ice buildups to form on the plane's wings, which the National Transportation Safety Board blamed for the crash.

"It was a preventable crash, and the airline's callous response to the families led me and others to action," Severin said.

From the pain has come some good.

The crash helped spur the passage of the federal Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996. It mandated new regulations in airline safety and response tactics and required airlines to provide crisis counseling and other assistance to the families of crash victims.

Severin said, the tragedy also brought together strangers whose loved ones perished in the crash.

"They have become an extended family for me," she said. "I never would have given up my sister and nephew for all of this, though."

Sheriden-Hansen, whose older brother, Frank Sheriden, perished in the flight, said that night 15 years ago altered her life forever.

"I personally try very hard to focus on celebrating his life, as the pain of the loss will always be right there without any resolution," she said. Her brother was a private pilot who restored vintage aircraft and highly valued airplane safety.

Family and Friends of Flight 4184 continues to push for change. The group is urging the public and members of Congress to force the Federal Aviation Administration to update icing operation and certification standards for turboprop aircraft in order to avoid another tragedy such as flight 4184.

Severin said she doesn't know how many members of the group will attend today's memorial service.

"It's not only for the families," she said. "The ripple effect includes the responders and volunteers.

"It's changed so many lives in so many directions."

Comments:

: Lucy0502 said on: October 31, 2009, 9:21 pm; The night of the plane crash, 15 years ago, I was working at an all news radio station in Chicago covering the plane crash. Leaving the station in the early morning hours, I remember thinking how the weather was so bad. The wind was blowing so hard it almost pushed me to the grown. The rain was blowing sidesways. It was just awful. I couldnt believe that plane was allowed in the air. Every Halloween, I have thought of those killed and their loved ones. My thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends, and all those touched by the plane that crashed in an Indiana cornfield. Lucy

Mushroom said on: October 31, 2009, 2:38 pm

The night of the crash of American Eagle flight 4184, myself, and two other ham radio operators jumped in my motor home and when we arrived at the site, there was not very much we could do, the two hams went out to protect the site and look for any life, I stayed in the corner of RT-10 in a little field and set up the communications that were needed as there was no cell phone coverage on the south side of RT-10, just on the north.

As we had all bands of radio contact to Chicago and the Valparaiso repeaters, we handled the traffic for the necessory communications that were needed for the following week or 10 days, hard to remember, but it was a warm spot inthe motor home fora lot of the emergency personal, an 1st responders.

I would like to just say we wish we could have helped more and God bless to all that were involved.

I am Mike Halley KB9IYS/WB9SLW, Kevin N9XOZ and Bill KA9ONS, of which Bill is passed now and I and Kevin reside in Florida.

My prayers to all.

Mike

2009-11-01T16:52:00.002-05:00

Flight 4184 victims remembered, families praised

Commuter flight crashed in Roselawn 15 years ago Saturday

By Keith Benman - keith.benman@nwi.com, (219) 933-3326 | Posted: Sunday, November 1, 2009 12:10 am |

TONY V. MARTIN | THE TIMES Al Gagliano, of Eagle, Wis., polishes the cross that memorializes his son, Jeff Gagliano, the first officer on the four-person crew that perished in the Oct. 31, 1994, crash of American Eagle Flight 4184. Sixty-four passengers also lost their lives when the commuter flight from Indianapolis to Chicago went down in a soybean field south of Roselawn on the rainy, cold Halloween afternoon 15 years ago.

ROSELAWN | Three small children handed out red paper hearts, autumn leaves, and paper clips Saturday to about 60 people at the edge of a Newton County cornfield.

"Even though we never met them, we want to remember them," 9-year-old Jackie Calderon said of her grandfather and uncle as she read from a piece of paper. "We wish they were on Earth with us and not in heaven."

The girl's relatives were among 68 people who died when American Eagle Flight 4184 crashed 15 years ago Saturday in a farmer's field south of Roselawn. After a fight waged for years by the victims' families, the crash resulted in passage of a landmark aviation safety act by Congress.

"The paper clips bind things together," Calderon told the crowd after she and her brother, Ethan, 7, and their cousin, Sidney Calderon, 7, finished passing out the items. "Just like we are bounded together by our loved ones."

The memorial service takes place every year at the site along County Road 400 East, a narrow strip of asphalt running south out of the rural hamlet of Roselawn. The sky was clear and a brisk, cold wind rustled the cornstalks.

Family members came from as far away as Los Angeles to pay their respects and remember loved ones on Saturday.

The anniversaries that come every fifth year tend to bring out more family members, with attendees saying Saturday's crowd was the largest they remember. Victims' families greeted each other quietly as they arrived, glancing at the rows of white crosses arranged on the other side of the roadside ditch.

The crosses, the simple boulder bearing a memorial plaque, and the grass around them are meticulously maintained by local residents Michael Guerrero and his sons, Nathan and Spencer. Victims' families also come from far away to occasionally lend a hand.

"We come here not only to honor those who perished in the crash, but also to celebrate our extended family," said Terri Severin, sweeping her hand toward the crowd. Her sister and her sister's 4-year-old son died in the crash.

Flight 4184 went down on a rainy, cold Halloween. The commuter flight from Indianapolis was in a holding pattern waiting to land at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The ATR-72 turboprop had encountered freezing rain as it circled, which caused ice to build up on the wings, dooming the plane.

The crash and the efforts of the victims' families helped spur passage of the federal Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996. It mandated new regulations in airline safety and response tactics and required airlines to provide crisis counseling and other assistance to the families of crash victims.

The memorial service Saturday was started by a local quartet of musicians strumming guitars and a mandolin at the edge of the road.

Pastor Kathie Hostetter, of the nearby Roselawn United Methodist Church, delivered an elegy praising both those who perished in the crash and the surviving families who fought so hard to keep others from suffering the same fate.

"We are not among those who shrink back and are lost ... because we have faith," she said quoting from the Book of Hebrews.

After the service, a dinner was served at the white frame Methodist Church for all the families.

2009-09-18T13:16:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Terri Henry Severin on the publication of her book, In the Wake of the Storm: Living Beyond the Tragedy of Flight 4184. A spellbinding account of struggling with loss, but not succumbing to it, her book offers both the astonishing story of the aftermath of the crash and a universal message of hope. For more information, go to http://www.northcrosspress.com/

2008-11-11T16:11:00.009-05:00

We found this story and photos online recently and asked Allyson's permission to share it on this site. For a look at her pictures please click on her photo in the left hand column.

taken from:
http://allysonlyonphotography.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

A link to the details of this flight can be found here. A basic overview however, is that on October 31st 1994 America Eagle Flight 4184 was unable to overcome a build up of freezing rain and as a result ended up in an unrecoverable inverted dive impacting the earth at 695 kph. The plane landed in a soybean field just outside of the small town Roselawn, Indiana.

I was 14, in high school. I wasn't one for watching the news back then, but I remember the unending coverage of that crash. It was the topic of discussion at the grocery store when people were checking out. At the local coffee shops farmers and retiree's sat with speculation of what COULD have happened. It was as thick as smoke and the buzz about the events was everywhere you turned.

I hadn't thought about that crash since the camera crews packed up and the the next season of crops were planted. Nearly 13 years passed before I thought about the events of that day. What brought the events of that day to the forefront of my mind was an unlikely event, it's when I met my husband. He has studied and preoccupied himself with stories of aircraft as a hobby for years. Not just tragedy, but everything from the layout of cockpits and cabins to the engines, wings, and body structures. When he moved to Winamac and realized he was only a short hour drive away from the site, he started studying the events surrounding that crash. He was reeled in by the details of the event, and how such a significant crash had really been forgotten in the minds of so many. We decided together that we would go out that day on the anniversary of the crash and pay our respects. Such an event shouldn't be forgotten.

Unfortunately after a year of discussion, Mike was unable to make the trek over to Roselawn today. I however was able to. So this morning I packed up the children, some candles, and my camera and we headed over.

I was unprepared for the emotions that would accompany this trip. My thoughts the entire drive were with the families that survived. I was nervous. What if my presence there was an unwelcome one? Was it inappropriate of me to go? I was going to pay respects, but did I have a right?

I started facing some fears that I have always had in regards to losing loved ones and not being able to say goodbye, not being able to have closure.

I was also overcome with great honor to be able to go pay my respects to people who ultimately saved the lives of many. I was going to see heros of their own right. Without these people giving up their lives, it is very possible that the ATR-72 would still be flying in cold weather conditions. Instead because of this crash, the FAA grounded the ATR 72's for approximately 2 weeks. After that the FAA ruled that these aircraft could no longer be flown in any climate where there was even a remote chance of freezing rain. Reason being, the system that was in place to deal with such conditions was ineffective and had resulted in several crashes before this one. This accident was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. It's very unfortunate that no one payed attention sooner.

When I arrived there was a car there. A young man and woman, paying their respects to what I can only assume was some loved ones that they lost that day. The gentleman looked to be in his early 20's and looked saddened, and pained. He must have only been 10-14 at most when it happened. He's probably just now reaching an age where he can wrap his mind around the events, if you ever actually can wrap your mind around something like that. I held a small moment of silence for him in my head.

Only after he left, did I leave my vehicle. It wasn't my place to interrupt his time alone in his moment. After all I was here to pay respects but on a much different, less personal level.

After he pulled away I got out and was aww struck by how well kept and maintained the small 50 ft plot was. It was a warm 72 degrees out, a much different scene than the weather 14 years prior. The grass was perfectly groomed, the crosses all standing in perfect formation. Along with the 68 white crosses, one for every person that perished that day, there were 4 larger ones for the crew. To the side of those was another small little garden of other crosses that families had brought and adorned for their loved ones. On the other side was a bench that read "reflections". There were baskets of mums spread out throughout the garden. Some crosses had small plaques in front of them. The garden was pristine, that small plot is well loved by whomever takes such great care of it. I stood in silence for a moment and took in the fresh, clean air. My eyes focused on the smallest of details. I read every name on every cross, and gave them the moment of remembrance that they deserved. I looked out to the field where 68 loved ones died that day 14 years ago.

After that I walked back to my van and brought out the mirror of candles. Sixty-eight candles in total. As I lit every one the heat grew. They were small tea lights but after lighting 68 of them it felt as hot as a forest fire. That moment really put into perspective the number of people who were now missing from so many others lives.

The wind picked up soon after I got the last of those 68 candles lit. Every single candle in a split second was blown out. I couldn't help but notice the irony in that. I decided that it was best and appropriate to leave them out. There was a reason those flames dissipated. I placed my mirror with the candles in the middle of the plot. I stood back took another look and walked away.

I leave you with some photographs in honor of those who died that day, and for the families that live to far away to be able to make that journey every year to pay respects.

http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/allynlyon/American%20Eagle%20Flight%204184/?albumview=grid

Tribute to Flight 4184

2008-11-10T21:49:00.002-05:00

Photos taken throughout the years by John Watkins, reporter for the NW Times Newspaper, Merrillville, Indiana.

Families and Friends of 4184

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