Aftermath

Buffalo Crash Stirs Ice Debate

New rules proposed after turboprop disaster.

In a bid to prevent crashes like that of Continental Airlines Flight 3407, the National Transportation Safety Board is moving to beef up ice-related safety regulations its says have proved insufficient, the Associated Press reports. As the policy stands, pilots of turboprop planes—like the one that crashed in Buffalo on Thursday—are required to engage their de-icing system only upon discovering ice buildup. If the NTSB proposal is implemented, the equipment would have to be turned on at the first sign of bad conditions. Speaking about such oft-proposed but largely unheeded safety measures, one FAA spokesperson said: "Their concern is this is not happening quickly enough…As with any safety improvement that is significant, we have to go through rulemaking to get there. It takes time." The proposal is currently in the final stages of executive review.