WASHINGTON, D.C. — At the FAA’s Aviation Workforce Symposium, aviators, government leaders and business executives in the aerospace industry gathered at Washington’s National Airport to talk the future of the industry.

But upon closer inspection, at one of the tables sat a group of people with a more personal connection to the day, connected by tragedy nearly 10 years ago.

Scott Maurer is from Palmetto, Florida, and it’s hard to miss the memory he keeps close to his heart.

“We represent what can happen when you take shortcuts in aviation,” he said.

Maurer and others at this table came to DC to urge government and transportation leaders to not forget what happened the night of February 12, 2009.

According to the NTSB, Continental Airlines Flight 3407 experienced complications on approach to Buffalo-Niagara International due to icy conditions. The pilots with relatively little experience in commercial flight made the wrong decisions contributing to the crash.

Maurer’s daughter Loren was one of the 50 people who died that night.

 “She worked at Princeton University; she was pursuing a career in athletics management,” he said. “She was the light of my life and I miss her every day and so does my wife.”

Since that night, the families became a force to recon with on Capitol Hill, working with lawmakers to pass safer regulations aimed at improving training and working conditions for airline pilots and crew.

The flight was marketed as Continental Airlines but was actually flown by Colgan Air, a regional carrier that codeshares with the larger brands.

Maurer and these family members worry that some in the industry are pushing the government to relax safety standards due to a lack of qualified candidates, a move which could allow more applicants to become pilots and crew.

But the families argue it’s a step in the wrong direction and say they’ll continue to come to Washington to not only honor the memory of their loved ones, but to fight for future fliers.

 “When I leave here tonight, I’ll get home around 11:30 and I’ll get off that plane…I’ll still have an empty chair at Thanksgiving, I’m still going to have an empty chair at Christmas and nothing that I do here is ever going to change that so…my hope is that you don’t have to experience what my wife and I have,” Maurer said.