Kent State University’s Maureen McFarland, Ph.D., shared with WKYC-TV her perspectives on what we know so far about the tragic mid-air collision on Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C., that has left 67 people dead.
McFarland, associate dean of academic affairs at Kent State University's College of Aeronautics and Engineering, stated that once the cause of the crash is determined, the college will use that information to educate students in its air traffic control simulator.
"The last (fatal commercial) accident that we had (in the United States) was the Colgan Air crash, and that resulted in what we now know is that pilots have to have 1,500 hours of flight time before they can be hired as a first officer," she told WKYC. "And the FAA came out with its regulations that they can offer Restricted ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) ... and so that has filtered down to how we train and educate."
As a Marine combat veteran who flew as a navigator, McFarland brings those experiences to her role as an educator at Kent State. She told WKYC the goal is always to complete the mission, “and our mission is to train and educate.”
Kent State’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering has one of the largest flight-training programs and the largest air traffic control laboratory in Ohio. Kent State has the only air traffic control lab in the state to have all three domains: tower, terminal radar approach (TRACON) and en route. Additionally, the lab’s equipment and software are identical to the equipment used in the FAA’s training center in Oklahoma City.