Colgan-Air-Flug 3407

Continental Connection or Colgan Air Flight 3407 was a daily U.S. commuter flight between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey and Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) in New York that was operated by the regional airline Colgan Air as part of a codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines.

The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 departed from Newark on February 12, 2009 at 9:20 p.m. EST. Shortly after the last communication by the flight crew at 10:11 p.m. (03:11, February 13 UTC), the plane crashed into a house in the northeast Buffalo suburb of Clarence Center, Vorlage:Convert short of BUF's Runway 23, killing everyone on board. A total of 50 people were killed, including two pilots, two flight attendants, 44 passengers, one off-duty pilot, and one resident of the house. It was the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the United States since Comair Flight 191 in August 2006.

Flight details

A Dash 8 Q400 similar to the aircraft involved.

Colgan Air Flight 3407 (9L 3407 or CJC 3407) was marketed as Continental Air Flight 3407 (CO 3407) under the Continental Connection brand. The flight departed at 9:20 p.m. EST, en route from Newark Liberty International Airport to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The flight was one of seven Continental flights bound for Buffalo Niagara that day, out of a total of 110 incoming and departing flights across all carriers.

The aircraft was a 74-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 (Registration N200WQ) twin engine turboprop owned and operated by Colgan Air, and equipped with deicing boots. N200WQ was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in April 2008 and was put into service the same month..

The Q400 model has been involved in 13 incidents,Vorlage:Clarify me but the crash of Flight 3407 was the first resulting in fatalities. This crash was also the first fatality on a Colgan Air passenger flight since the company was founded in 1991, though there was a previous fatal incident in August 2002 when mechanical problems caused their plane to crash outside of Manassas, Virginia, where Colgan Air is based, killing both crew members. The only previous aviation incident on a Colgan Air passenger flight occurred at LaGuardia Airport, when another plane ignored the tower's instructions while taxiing and collided with the Colgan aircraft, resulting in minor injuries to a flight attendent.

The crew of four was led by Captain Marvin Renslow, age 47, of Lutz, Florida, who was hired by Colgan in 2005 and had flown 3,379 hours. First Officer Rebecca Lynne Shaw of Maple Valley, Washington was hired by Colgan in January 2008, and had flown 2,244 hours. Flight Attendants Matilda Quintero and Donna Prisco both joined Colgan in May 2008. Captain Joseph Zuffoletto, an off-duty crew member aboard Flight 3407, was hired by Colgan in September 2005.

Crash

Planform view of a Q400 showing the high aspect ratio (long, narrow) wings

FAA ILS/LOC approach plate to Runway 23 at Buffalo Niagara International Airport (KBUF). The flight crashed near the Localizer Outer Marker (LOM) (Identifier: "Klump") about five miles from the threshold of Rwy 23.

The aircraft had been cleared for the ILS Runway 23 approach to the nearby Buffalo Niagara International Airport when it disappeared from radar. 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. Two other aircraft reported icing conditions around the time of the crash. Last radio contact was made when the plane was 3 miles from a radio beacon, when First Officer Shaw acknowledged a routine instruction to change to tower frequency with the flight's numbers, 3407. The crew made no emergency declaration before the crash. After several attempts to hail the crew, controllers requested the assistance of Delta Flight 1998 and US Airways Flight 1452, in making visual contact with the missing airplane; the Delta crew responded that they did not see the plane.

During the flight, the de-icing system was turned on by the pilots. The flight crew discussed significant ice buildup on the aircraft's wings and windshield shortly before the crash. Following this, the pilots configured the aircraft's flaps and landing gear for landing. Immediately, the plane went through severe pitch and roll oscillations, and the crew attempted to raise the gear and reset the flaps. Despite the pilots' efforts to regain control, the plane plunged at a steep angle straight into the private home at 6038 Long Street, Clarence Center, about 5 miles from the end of the runway, and nearly directly under its intended approach path. The lots in the area are only 60 feet wide, but the plane hit the house square on, completely destroying it in the fire but with remarkably little damage to surrounding homes. The house that was hit by the plane was the home of Douglas and Karen Wielinski along with their daughter Jill. Douglas was killed and the other two escaped with minor injuries and were treated at the Millard Fillmore Suburban hospital. The home is around the corner from the Clarence Center Fire Company, so emergency personnel were able to respond quickly. While fighting the blaze, two firefighters were injured. The crash and intense fire caused the evacuation of 12 nearby houses.

Fatalities

President Barack Obama shaking hands with Beverly Eckert a week before the accident

The total number of reported fatalities was 50, including all four crew members and one off duty crew-member, all 44 passengers, and one resident of the house that was struck. There were also four reported injuries on the ground, including two other people inside the home at the time of the crash. Among the reported dead were human rights investigator Alison Des Forges, an expert on the Rwandan genocide, and jazz musicians Gerry Niewood and Coleman Mellett, who were en route to a concert with Chuck Mangione and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Beverly Eckert, who became co-chair of the 9/11 Family Steering Committee and a leader of "Voices of September 11" after her husband Sean Rooney was killed in the September 11 attacks, was also killed. She was en route to Buffalo to celebrate her late husband's 58th birthday and award a scholarship in his memory at Canisius High School.

Investigation

Continental Airlines Inc. said Colgan Air was in the process of collecting information. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they would send a team to the crash site on February 13 to begin the investigation. NTSB spokesman Steve Chealander said that 14 investigators were assigned to the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407. Both the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have been retrieved and are currently being analyzed in Washington, D.C.

After initial FDR and CVR analysis, it was determined that the aircraft went through severe pitch and roll oscillations after positioning its flaps and landing gear for landing. Up until this point, the plane had been handling normally. The de-icing system was reported to be turned on. During descent, the crew reported about 3 miles of visibility with snow and mist.

Reactions

Colgan Air set up a telephone number for families and friends of those affected to call on February 13, and a family assistance center was opened at the Cheektowaga Senior Center in Cheektowaga, New York. The American Red Cross also opened reception centers in Buffalo and Newark where family members could receive support from mental health and spiritual care workers.

U.S. President Barack Obama extended condolences before the 10:30 am Business Council meeting in the East Room of the White House on the 13th, thanking the first responders and specifically mentioning Beverly Eckert. New Jersey governor Jon Corzine followed suit, and New York governor David Paterson plans to visit the site of the crash. Just after 2:30 p.m., the U.S. House of Representatives held a moment of silence for the victims and their families. The Buffalo Sabres also held a moment of silence prior to their game against the San Jose Sharks.

Philip H. Trenary, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Airlines, Colgan's parent company, also expressed condolences in a press release on the 13th, and pledged to commit all needed resources necessary to assist in the investigation. The Colgan Air founder and former owner, Virginia State Senator Charles J. Colgan, made a similar statement.

See also

• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
• List of accidents and incidents involving airliners by location
• US Airways Flight 1549
• American Eagle Flight 4184

External links

 Wikinews: Fifty killed in Continental Flight 3407 plane crash in Clarence Center, New York – Nachricht

• Amateur video from seconds after crash of Flight 3407
• Flight path for CJC3407 in 3D/Google Earth at fboweb.com
• Flight track data for Continental Connection flight 3407 at fboweb.com
• Information Regarding Flight 3407 - Continental Airlines
• Flight tracker and Track log
• CNN Fireman Interview
• Flickr photo set of the crash
• ATC Recording of flight 3407
• A picture of the aircraft taken in late 2008.