Is your pilot safe to fly?

That's a question families of Flight 3407 victims have been trying to get the answer to ever since they lost their loved ones in the crash in Clarence Center in 2009. 

The cause: pilot error. 

Now, a piece of legislation they've fought for that has been in limbo for the past decade is one step closer to implementation.

Monday was the final day for public comment on the pilot record database, which would detail a pilot's test written and flight test results so any airline could see their record. 

At a Senate Commerce hearing in 2009, the president of the airline testified that if Colgan had access to the captain’s complete training record, they would not have hired him. 

Family members say this has been too long in the making to ensure the most qualified people are in the cockpit.

"I just think about COVID and I think about how it's so new and in just three or four months, they're already testing. They have antibody tests. So where there's a will, there's a way. Just as an example, in three or four months, they're moving ahead. And this has been 10 years. It's more important than you think because you want the most qualified pilots in there, and this is a way to weed out the ones who aren't good,” said Jen West, who lost her husband Ernie in the crash.

Theoretically, the FAA and DOT should have three months to finalize the rule, but as this legislation has been years in the making, family members say they will breathe a sigh of relief when they see the rule officially on the books.