FAA proposes stricter rules on pilot rest

Making airline travel safer sometimes has to wait for tragedy to strike before meaningful steps are taken. We've seen that pattern repeatedly over the years. That certainly seems to be the case with a tougher set of rules, proposed today by the Federal Aviation Admnistration, for working hours and conditions of commercial airline pilots. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the pilots of a Colgan Air regional turboprop that crashed near Buffalo last year, killing 50 people, were fatigued when fatal errors the captain made led to the crash. The NTSB has been calling for more research on fatigue among pilots for two decades. Today's proposed rules are now open for comment by airlines, pilot groups and the public.