OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Expressing Condolences To Families, Friends, And Loved Ones Of Victims Of Crash Of Comair Flight 5191

Date: Sept. 6, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Transportation


EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND LOVED ONES OF VICTIMS OF CRASH OF COMAIR FLIGHT 5191 -- (House of Representatives - September 06, 2006)

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Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of Comair Flight 5191.

It should come as a sobering fact that this is the worst aviation crash our country has seen since 2001. The crash occurred on Comair Flight 5191 upon take-off at 6:07 am at Blue Grass Airport, in Lexington, KY. The flight was en route to Atlanta, GA.

All but one of the 50 people on board, including passengers and crew, died. The only individual who survived the crash, copilot James M. Polehinke, is recovering at Chandler Medical Center, in Lexington, Kentucky, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Many individuals and entities who responded to the disaster acted nobly, cooperatively, and admirably. Federal, state, and local officials and volunteers were soon on the scene, and I applaud their efforts.

However, this was clearly a mistake, and an accident that should never have occurred. We desperately need adequate and rigorous oversight to ensure the operational safety of every commercial flight in this country. Air control towers across the country are currently short-staffed. Since September 2003, the number of air traffic controllers has plummeted from 15,386 to 14,305 in August 2006. Moreover, at the time of this tragic accident, there was only one air traffic controller present, which is a violation of FAA guidelines which mandate at least two air traffic controllers be present.

At the heart of every oversight issue is inevitably a funding issue Funds must be provided and managed effectively and efficiently in order to make sure that there exists a sufficient level of trained air traffic controllers ensuring the safety of air travel.

I offer my sympathy to the good citizens of Kentucky, and I join Mr. CHANDLER in mourning those lost and honoring their memory. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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