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is there anyway to avoid a flight like the Colgan Continental jet (was it 3407??) that crashed into the house near Buffalo, NY almost 5 years ago? from what i remember the staff description sounded underpaid substandard and inexperienced. or is there no way to tell ahead of time if such a crew will be flying the plane?
Almost all regional pilots are underpaid and overworked so there is no way to avoid that. As for the airplane itself there was nothing wrong with it. It was pilot error which caused the crash which is what causes the majority of airplane crashes.
As for a way to avoid these airlines. You really don't need to. Colgan 3407 was the last regional crash, and that occurred in 2009. The regionals are still very safe airlines to fly. But there is a way to avoid it. First you can fly the Low Cost Carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest. They fly to many destinations and they don't have regional airlines flying flights for them. Or you can just try not to get on those flights. When you book a ticket the flights options you have will show who operates the flight. It will say "operated by SkyWest Airlines or Operated by American Eagle. If you don't want to fly on the regionals don't pick those flights. The problem is for most smaller cities and towns those are the only way to get into them. For some airlines they might not fly their mainline jets to say Charleston.
Lets take Charleston as an example. American Airlines might only fly American Eagle into Charleston, a regional airline flying smaller jets. Delta though does fly their mainline jets into Charleston so fly Delta. However lets say you want to get to Gainsville Florida, no airline flys mainline airplanes there. The city is just too small. So you either fly on a regional or fly to a closer big airport like Jacksonville and drive.
All in all, my explanation is pretty much pointless. Regional airlines are safe. You should have no worries about flying on them.
A) Colgan 3407 wasn't a jet, it was a turboprop aircraft
B) There was nothing at all wrong with the aircraft
C) Pretty much all regional crews are underpaid/underworked. But look at the statistics. The Colgan crash was in 2009. Before that was, what, ComAir in Lexington in 2006? So there's two crash in the past seven years, out of literally thousands of flights every single day.
Basically, there's no shortage of things to worry about in this world, but this isn't one of them.
A) Colgan 3407 wasn't a jet, it was a turboprop aircraft
B) There was nothing at all wrong with the aircraft C) Pretty much all regional crews are underpaid/underworked. But look at the statistics. The Colgan crash was in 2009. Before that was, what, ComAir in Lexington in 2006? So there's two crash in the past seven years, out of literally thousands of flights every single day.
Basically, there's no shortage of things to worry about in this world, but this isn't one of them.
Correction for you...underpaid and overworked. Regional pilots starting salaries will range between $15k-$23k/year. Top out pay for a senior captain (typically 12-20 years minimum experience) is normally $100k, little bit more depending on extra responsibilities duties.
As stated, flying either regional or mainline aircraft is incredibly safe. The last two fatal accidents in the US however have been regional flights (The Colgan Flight in '09 and the Comair flight in '06). The major airlines have managed to land an Airbus in the Hudson during that time, and many other major foreign carriers flying mainline aircraft have had incidents as well, including Air France losing a bird in the Atlantic.
If for convience purposes you avoid the regional aircraft (i.e. they're small, uncomfortable, and if operated by a couple carriers; smell like lav juice) then by all means go for it. I wouldn't be fearful however that because the planes are piloted by underpaid and overworked pilots that they'll be falling from the sky. Remember, the crew members have as much interest in getting you safely to your destination as they do for themselves...their own lives, safety, and careers depend on it.
... If for convience purposes you avoid the regional aircraft (i.e. they're small, uncomfortable, and if operated by a couple carriers; smell like lav juice) then by all means go for it. I wouldn't be fearful however that because the planes are piloted by underpaid and overworked pilots that they'll be falling from the sky. Remember, the crew members have as much interest in getting you safely to your destination as they do for themselves...their own lives, safety, and careers depend on it.
I've been to combat with a couple of first-assignment lieutenant wingmen, as flight lead on their first-ever combat missions. They underpaid? Yep. Overworked? Maybe overtasked is a better term. Long hours, lots of stress with lots of boredom in between, plus the added threat of being shot down - in effect, a lot like the life of a regional pilot, less the AAA and SAMs. Did they fall from the skies? Nope, they did their job professionally and without complaint. Just like the vast majority of airline pilots, whether freight dogs, regionals or majors.
Basically, there's no shortage of things to worry about in this world, but this isn't one of them.
Yep...
If you are going to die in a plane crash you will die in a plane crash.... no sense worrying about it.
I'm flying out tomorrow night from Seattle... A320 to DC. I hear there are a bunch of storms coming up the east coast... What to do?
Then I'm catching a regional flight on a CRJ-200 to Syracuse, NY.
When I leave next week I'm catching a turboprop Dash 8 back to DC... (isn't that the same type of plane as the Colgan Air crash?) then another A320 back to Seattle.
I'm more worried about getting a good night's sleep on the plane tomorrow night than I am anything else.
If you are going to die in a plane crash you will die in a plane crash.... no sense worrying about it.
I'm flying out tomorrow night from Seattle... A320 to DC. I hear there are a bunch of storms coming up the east coast... What to do?
Then I'm catching a regional flight on a CRJ-200 to Syracuse, NY.
When I leave next week I'm catching a turboprop Dash 8 back to DC... (isn't that the same type of plane as the Colgan Air crash?) then another A320 back to Seattle.
I'm more worried about getting a good night's sleep on the plane tomorrow night than I am anything else.
Given the weather they are calling for I'd be worried about being stuck at whatever DC airport you're coming through :-(
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