Dr. Maureen McFarland, an associate dean at Kent State University’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering, and a Marine combat veteran, mentioned that the university plans to utilize the findings from the recent air collision tragedy to enhance student learning.
Following the tragic air crash at Reagan Washington National Airport, Dr. McFarland stated that the university community is closely monitoring the situation. The incident involved a fatal mid-air collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., resulting in the loss of 67 lives.
“Anytime you see something like that, your heart breaks and you worry,” McFarland told 3News in a Thursday interview.
They’re also waiting for answers.Â
As investigations continue to determine the cause of the aviation accident, Dr. McFarland emphasized that it will take time to unravel the details. She also highlighted that the college intends to incorporate the insights gained from this incident into the curriculum. Specifically, the information will be integrated into Kent State’s air traffic control simulator program, which leverages real-world scenarios to educate students.
“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 office,” she explained. “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.”
McFarland also uses her unique background to provide perspective. She flew as a navigator in the U.S. Marine Corps, which she says “brings an understanding of the different pathways for our students.”
One of her personal goals is to make sure the next generation does the work and is prepared for the unexpected.Â
“When things do go wrong, it just helps us provide a perspective to them that training is always paramount,” she added. “That might be very much why (we emphasize), ‘Let’s not speculate, let’s stay calm, let’s … execute our mission,’ and our mission is training and education right now.”
NBC News reports the Federal Aviation Administration is short about 3,000 controllers to fill air traffic control stations and towers across the country. McFarland says KSU will continue training students who could hopefully one day help fill some of those holes and gaps with their expertise.Â
