Here’s what it takes to complete the ATP Certification Training Course.

In 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in the Buffalo, New York, metropolitan area, killing all 49 passengers and crewmembers on board and one person inside the house into which the Bombardier Dash-8 Q400 crashed. The extensive post-crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the pilots were completely at fault. The captain allowed the airplane to get slow during the ILS approach to Runway 23 at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (KBUF). Instead of applying proper stall recovery techniques when the stick shaker deployed, the captain pulled back on the yoke, bringing the airplane into an aggravated stall. At the same time, the copilot retracted the flaps without the captain’s command, exacerbating the situation. The airplane spun straight into the ground.

ATP Certification Training Course is now a prerequisite for becoming an airline pilot and can be completed at Flight Training International!

Neither pilot appeared to have had adequate rest before the flight. The captain had apparently spent the night at the airport and the first officer had commuted on a redeye from Seattle to Newark, New Jersey, where Flight 3407 originated. There was also unnecessary chatter between the pilots during a time when 100 percent of the focus should have been on controlling the airplane — a status known as sterile cockpit.

While the crash could have been prevented through better crew rest requirements, training and adhering to standard operating procedures and stall recovery procedures, what emerged from the ashes of the 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash was a greater barrier to entry for people wanting to become professional pilots.

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