by 2005, colgan had successfully bid and won flying contracts with continental, us air and united airlines serving regional markets across the northeast and throughout texas. in just four years, colgan had more than doubled in size. that's a lot of growth to manage there, isn't it? >> a lot of growth for colgan to manage. this has been a lot of growth for the regional sector to manage. from flying a small portion of overall flying to operating 52% of the departures today. you know, it's been a huge transition for the regional sector. >> o'brien: even before the crash of 3407, there were growing safety concerns about the regional airlines. since 2002, the last six fatal commercial airline accidents in the u.s. have all involved regionals. in four of the accidents, the ntsb cited pilot error as a cause. the investigation of 3407 opened a window into the lives of regional pilots, where the work is hard, and the days are long, says former colgan pilot chris wiken. >> it's challenging. it's very challenging. a lot of short routes, a lot of take offs, a lot of landings, and going in and out of b