Those who perished in crash of Continental Flight 3407 remembered

They also recommitted to protecting the hard-fought pilot safety rules they pushed Congress to pass in 2010.

They were joined Friday, two days shy of the anniversary date, by Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, who vowed to safeguard the improved training requirements.

"You have left a legacy of saving lives in the air and on the ground, a legacy of making sure our country sets an example for the world," Ambrosi told those assembled inside the Clarence Center Volunteer Fire Company Fire Hall, a block from the crash site. "We have established the gold standard in aviation safety, and we will never accept less."

It was a difficult remembrance for Grail Cammarata of Fairport, there to honor her late sister, Julie Ries, a mother of three and home health aide.   

"Every year I come to honor her and to show love for the rest of the people who perished that day," she said.

The bouquet she brought included a purple flower, for her sister's favorite color, and a rose to symbolize Valentine's Day and her affection for her.

Karen Eckert, who lost her sister Beverly on the flight from Newark, N.J., recalled all those whose lives were lost that winter night.     

"Officially, they were tallied as 45 passengers, 4 crew and 1 on the ground," she said. "But they had names and they had lives, each loss devastating to family and friends."

They included students, six veterans, two professional musicians, a cantor and a human rights activist. Twenty-four left behind spouses, three were engaged and 20 children under the age of 18 lost a parent.

Eckert then read the names of each person who died.

Karen Wielinski, whose Long Street home, now the memorial site, was hit by the plane, lamented the death of her husband, Doug, and the others.  

"Even after 14 years, I still find it hard to fathom that my daughter Jill and I, who were asleep, escaped that night," Wielinski said. "One of the first things I saw was that Continental logo on the tail of the plane that was now resting in my kitchen."

Several factors contributed to the accident that tragic day.

Capt. Marvin D. Renslow had failed three FAA test flights before joining the airline, but his job application listed just one. Rebecca L. Shaw, the co-pilot, was sick before the flight and worked with limited sleep. 

The legislation the families led the fight to enact over airline company resistance increased the amount of experience pilots need to 1,500 hours. The law requires pilots to be trained to handle the kind of emergencies the pilots of Flight 3407 mishandled. It also set standards for rest between flights and helped create a pilot database so airlines have accurate histories of potential hires.

To honor their achievement, the Federal Aviation Administration in August 2022 unveiled a plaque paying tribute to the families' hard work. It is on display at the Orville Wright Building, the FAA's headquarters.

"Their tireless advocacy after the February 12, 2009, crash in Clarence, N.Y., established a legacy that raised the level of safety for every passenger who sets foot on a regional or mainline commercial airline flight," the plaque reads.

Eckert said the legislation has had undeniable success in saving lives.

"There hasn't been a fatal crash of a U.S. commercial passenger carrier in the past 14 years," Eckert said. "That's the safest period in our nation's history by over a decade."

But the airline industry continues to try to water down the law, which she and the other families remain vigilant against allowing.

"It's both remarkable and sad that we're still having to go and fight in Washington 14 years later," said Eckert, who said she has gone there 75 times to speak with lawmakers. "We were in Washington just this week to remind our elected officials that there are consequences to loosening airline safety standards. They can look at us, as well as listen to the experts."

Rep. Brian Higgins said in a statement that he will do all he can to make sure that the law remains unchanged as Congress debates measures that will go into new FAA legislation this year. 

"As Congress debates FAA Reauthorization, we can't go back," Higgins said. "The flying public deserves the highest level of safety, and we remain prepared to defend it."