September 13, 2011 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear

Mr. President: We write to you as the families and friends of those who lost loved ones when Continental Flight 3407 crashed outside of Buffalo, New York, on February 12, 2009. For the past thirty months we have fought diligently to achieve a true One Level of Safety in our nations aviation system, which was sadly denied to our loved ones when they boarded Flight 3407 operated by Colgan Air. Today, we ask for your intervention as the Federal Aviation Administration struggles to issue a long-overdue final rule to update our nations antiquated pilot flight and duty time regulations. The National Transportation Safety Boards investigation into Flight 3407 exposed a multitude of deficiencies, in particular shining a bright light on the issue of pilot fatigue. This critical issue has been at the top of the NTSBs Most Wanted List for twenty years, and multiple efforts to address it over the past two decades have been repeatedly defeated by intense industry opposition. As a result of our persistent efforts on Capitol Hill, last summer Congress unanimously passed H.R. 5900, The Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-216), which you signed into law on August 1, 2010. A cornerstone provision to this law was Congress mandating that the FAA issue new science-based fatigue regulations by August 1, 2011. Despite being the stated top priority of Secretary LaHood and Administrator Babbitt, that deadline has come and passed, as the industry has once again mounted heavy pressure on the Office of Management and Budget in an attempt to stall this crucial safety initiative. Mr. President, we hearken back to our meeting with you in Buffalo in May 2010. While you made no promises regarding Congresss efforts at the time to pass an FAA Reauthorization Bill with safety provisions included, you gave us your strongest assurances that within your domain of the executive branch, everything possible would be done to achieve this elusive One Level of Safety. As this historic safety reform now sits squarely between FAA, DOT, and OMB, we call on you now to use your influence to push your executive agencies to get this done for the safety of the entire American flying public, as well as in honor of the memory of our loved ones. Sincerely,

The Families of Continental Flight 3407

Family of Beverly Eckert Family of Mary Abraham Family of Nicole Korczykowski Family of Alison DesForges Family of Kevin Johnston Family of Ernie West Family of Dawn Monachino Family of Zhaofang Guo Family of Mary Pettys Family of Julie Ries Family of Ronald Gonzalez Family of Donald Wielinski Family of John Fiore

Family of David Borner Family of Brad Green, Sr. Family of Madeline Loftus Family of Dipinder Sidhu Family of Jerome Krasuski Family of Kristin Safran Family of Coleman Mellett Family of Don McDonald Family of Clay Yarber Family of Susan Wehle Family of Brian Kuklewicz Family of Beth Ann Kushner Family of Donna Prisco

Family of Lorin Maurer Family of Johnathan Perry Family of Donald, Dawn, and Shawn Mossop Family of Ronald and Linda Davidson Family of Darren Tolsma Family of Ferris Reid Family of Jean Srnecz Family of Ellyce Kausner Family of Captain Joseph Zuffoletto Family of Steve Johnson Family of Jennifer Neill and Baby Neill Family of Georges Abu Karam Family of John Roberts III