Colgan-Air-Flug 3407

Continental Airlines Flight 3407, a Continental Connection code share flight operated by regional airline Colgan Air, crashed into a house in the northeast Buffalo suburb of Clarence Center on February 12, 2009, killing all 49 people aboard and one on the ground. It had made its last communication at 10:11 p.m. EST (03:11 UTC February 13) and made no emergency declaration.

Flight details

Flight 3407 was a 74-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop operated by Colgan Air. It was en route from Newark Liberty International Airport to Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

The crew consisted of Captain Marvin Renslow, hired by Colgan on September 9, 2005; First Officer Rebecca Shaw, hired by Colgan on January 16, 2008; Flight Attendants Matilda Quintero and Donna Prisco who both joined Colgan in May 2008 and Captain Joseph Zuffoletto, an off-duty crew member aboard flight 3407, hired by Colgan in September 2005.

Crash

The aircraft had been cleared for the ILS Runway 23 approach to the nearby Buffalo Niagara International Airport when it disappeared from radar. It crashed into a house at 6038 Long Street about 6 miles from the end of the runway, directly under the approach path. The house was completely destroyed. The home is around the corner from the Clarence Center Fire Company, so emergency personnel were able to resepond quickly. The crash also sparked a large fire and twelve houses near the site were evacuated. The ferocity of the fire was such that officials did not expect the crash site to be safe for investigators until about noon Friday, nearly 14 hours after the crash.

Planform view of a Flybe Q400 take off, showing the high aspect ratio wings, the slender nacelles (containing the main undercarriages) and the pointed nose.

The total number of reported fatalities was 50 (49 on board and one on the ground). There were also four reported injuries on the ground: two individuals inside the house plus two firefighters. Among the reported dead was Beverly Eckert, whose husband had been killed in the September 11 attacks, and who was on the way to Buffalo to celebrate what would have been his 58th birthday. Two residents were treated at the Millard Fillmore Suburban hospital.

The flight crew had not reported any problem to Buffalo approach control personnel. After several attempts to hail the crew, controllers requested the assistance of a nearby Delta Air Lines flight in making visual contact with the missing airplane; the Delta crew subsequently reported smoke and fire on the ground, requesting emergency response. The last radar position (unofficial) was at 10:11 PM Eastern time. Weather conditions were a wintry mix in the area, with light snow, fog, and Vorlage:Convert winds.

Investigation

There is unconfirmed speculation as to what may have contributed to loss of control and the subsequent crash of the aircraft. Investigators will be examining potential technical and environmental factors. For example, winter flying in general can be complicated by factors such as poor visibility and build-up of ice over the wings.

Continental Airlines Inc. said Colgan Air was "in the process of collecting information". The National Transportation Safety Board and Department of Homeland Security announced that they would send a team to the crash site on February 13 to begin the investigation.

External links

• Flight path for CJC3407 in 3D/Google Earth at fboweb.com
• Flight track data for Continental Connection flight 3407 at fboweb.com
• Photo of aircraft type involved in accident
• Information Regarding Flight 3407 - Continental Airlines
• Flight tracker and Track log
• CNN Fireman Interview
• Flickr photo set of the crash