Politics

How One Crash 10 Years Ago Helped Keep 90 Million Flights Safe

After the Colgan Air disaster, reforms contributed to an unprecedented decade of safety.

Workers and investigators clear debris from the scene of the crash on Feb. 16, 2009.
Photographer: David Duprey/Pool/Getty Images

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By Alan Levin

February 12, 2019 at 9:00 AM UTC

Updated on

February 12, 2019 at 8:17 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the February 18, 2019 issue of businessweek.

Investigators never figured out precisely why the pilot abruptly sent the Colgan Air turboprop into a fatal dive 10 years ago as it neared Buffalo, N.Y.

But they did learn enough from the Feb. 12, 2009, crash, which killed 50 people, to make it one of the most important milestones in the history of aviation safety, leading to changes in everything from pilot training to managing fatigue.