Colgan-Air-Flug 3407
Vorlage:Current Vorlage:Infobox Airliner accident
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. It crashed 6 miles short of Buffalo's runway 23.
Flight details
Flight 3407 was a 74-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop operated by Colgan Air, equipped with deicing boots [1][2]. It was en route from Newark Liberty International Airport to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF). The flight was one of seven incoming Continental flights that day, out of a total of 110 incoming and departing flights across all carriers.[3]
The crew consisted of Captain Marvin Renslow, hired by Colgan on September 9, 2005, and who had flown 3,379 hours with the carrier. First Officer Rebecca Shaw, hired by Colgan on January 16, 2008, had flown 2,244 hours with the carrier. 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.[4][5]
Crash
The aircraft had been cleared for the ILS Runway 23 approach to the nearby Buffalo Niagara International Airport when it disappeared from radar.[6][7][8][9] Last radio contact was made when the plane was 3 miles from a radio beacon 4 miles to the northwest of the airport, when First Officer Rebecca Shaw replied to a routine instruction to change to a new heading with the flight's numbers, "3407." There was no further communication from the flight crew afterwards. The tower contacted nearby Delta flight 1998 for a visual and received a negative reply before contacting authorities on the ground.[5]
It crashed into a house at 6038 Long Street, Clarence Center[3] 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.[3] The crash also sparked a large fire and twelve houses near the site were evacuated. Officials did not expect the crash site to be safe for investigators until about noon Friday.[9]
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. [10] Two residents were treated at the Millard Fillmore Suburban hospital.[3]
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.[11][12] The last radar position (unofficial) was at 10:11 PM Eastern time.[13] Weather conditions were a wintry mix in the area, with light snow, fog, and Vorlage:Convert winds.[14] Two other planes reported icy buildup on their wings after the crash.[5]
Investigation
Continental Airlines Inc. said Colgan Air was "in the process of collecting information".[14] 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.[6]The National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Steve Chealander said that 14 investigators were assigned to the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407.[15]
References
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 (Flash required)
- Flickr photo set of the crash
- ATC Recording of flight 3407
- ↑ http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/02/crash-in-buffal.html
- ↑ http://www.elastomeres.zodiac.com/en/produits/degivrage/systeme.shtml
- ↑ a b c d Carey, Elizabeth (2009-02-13). "Buffalo area plane crash claims 50 lives". The Business Review. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ↑ Flight 3407 crew members names released. wivb.com, 13. Februar 2009, abgerufen am 13. Februar 2009.
- ↑ a b c "All Calm Moments Before Plane Crashes" (2009-02-13). CBS News. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ↑ a b Dale Anderson and Phil Fairbanks: 49 killed as plane crashes into home in Clarence Center. The Buffalo News, 12. Februar 2009, abgerufen am 12. Februar 2009.
- ↑ Recording of air traffic controller LiveATC.net Archive for Buffalo, 22:00-22:30 EST
- ↑ Commuter Plane Crashes Into New York Home. cbsnews.com, 12. Februar 2009, abgerufen am 12. Februar 2009.
- ↑ a b Plane with 49 aboard crashes into house in suburban Buffalo. CNN, 13. Februar 2009, abgerufen am 13. Februar 2009.
- ↑ Sept. 11 widow killed in Buffalo plane crash February 13, 2009
- ↑ WIVB-TV News Report, 13 Feb 2009
- ↑ Recording of air traffic controller LiveATC.net Archive for Buffalo, 22:00-22:30 EST
- ↑ Track log for Continental Connection flight 3407 (CJC3407) at fboweb.com
- ↑ a b Commuter plane crashes into home in upstate NY. Associated Press via Houston Chronicle, 12. Februar 2009, abgerufen am 12. Februar 2009.
- ↑ John Wawrow: Fiery plane crash in upstate NY kills 50. Associated Press, 13. Februar 2009, abgerufen am 13. Februar 2009.