Continental TurboProp crash inbound for Buffalo
 

Commuter crash in Buffalo
 

AP alert - CNN has some video midnight local (EST) time.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Police say commuter plane has crashed into
home near Buffalo, N.Y.; no information on injuries.

Live video on CNN, the video is from skype. Says the plane hit a house almost square on and that only one person was home.

FAA just confirmed 48 people on board, 2 people not on plane transfered to hospital.

Continental Plane Crashes Into Home In New YorkBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) ―




New York state police say a 50-passenger commuter plane has crashed into a home in suburban Buffalo.

State Trooper John Manthey says the plane hit a house in Clarence around 10:10 p.m. Thursday. The house is engulfed in flames.

According to media media reports, the plane that crashed was Continental flight 3407 from Newark, N.J. to Buffalo.

According to the FAA, 48 people were on board the plane. There is no word about injuries at this time.

He says they don't know whether there were any passengers on the plane. They also don't know if there were any injuries in the home.

Manthey says the plane may have been headed to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. He says they have called the Federal Aviation Administration.

It was not immediately clear if weather was a factor in the crash. But throughout Thursday, Buffalo experienced gusty winds, rain and snow


Continental Airlines Jet Crashes Into House In New York - kdka.com

CNN still trying to report it as a Dash 8-100/200. FlightAware lists it as a Dash 8-400.

Lots and lots of fire. Doesn't look promising at the moment.

FlightAware > Live Flight Tracker > Colgan Air #3407 > 12-Feb-2009 > KEWR-KBUF

Here is the ATC archive ... starts at 17 past the hour.. Chilling..

http://archive-server.liveatc.net/kb...2009-0300Z.mp3

RIP..

Just reported at the news conference that it was a Q400

Kbuf 130254z 24015g22kt 3sm -sn Br Few011 Bkn021 Ovc027 01/m01 A2979 Rmk Ao2 Slp097 P0001 60004 T00061006 51015

Fox News reporting 49 fatalities + two on the ground taken to a hospital.
Fire is not yet under control.

From Buffalo News Web site: "County Executive Chris Collins said that there may have been as many as 50 people aboard the plane and crew members had reported mechanical problems as they approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Several injured people were taken from the scene to Erie County Medical Center for treatment."

Nothing about mechanical on ATC archive. Buffalo notes (after repeated calls for Colgan 3407) they need to talk to sheriff or state police: "Somebody need to find out if anything is on the ground, this aircraft was 5 miles out and all of a sudden we have no response from that aircraft."

Reported to be N200WQ. 44 pax + 4 Crew + 1 on the ground reported deceased. Icing reported in and around the area.

One Miracle, One Tragedy, all within 30 days.

My initial feeling is to worry about icing on this Dash 8...

On that ATC audio I hear a departing plane request "continuous climb for icing" right after the point where 3407 goes silent.

Last transmission "3407" acknowledges ATC call to "contact tower"

Crash site (Clarence Center township) on extended centerline for KBUF rwy 23 approach

[edit] officials at press conference report weather was "sleet and rain" at ground level.

[more] ground witness (yeah I know!) from house adjoining crash site says he heard plane and saw crash: "Plane did not sound normal (sic)" and "was not spiralling". FWIW.

A following Delta flight reported ice "about a 1/4 inch on us from descent" not building, US Air reported picking up ice for about 10 minutes but coming off around 2300, another reported ice from 20 miles south of airport.

Approach controllers soliciting icing reports, alerting on possible localizer problems (although noting they weren't indicating problems), and in general reflected tremendous professionalism under circumstances. They noted Colgan went down over the marker.

Real pilots should listen to the next 30mins of ATC recordings.


http://archive-server.liveatc.net/kb...2009-0330Z.mp3

04:30 mins onwards.

3268 "What do you mean he went down?"

3268 "Yeah well we will shoot the approach..."

Comments????????

That ATC guy did a great job, remaining composed knowing what must have happened and calmly controlling the other traffic, and even thinking to take ice reports from them which will hopefully help the investigation.


:sad:

Crash site is 5.3 nm from threshold of rwy 23 at KBUF.

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n.../3407map1z.jpg


http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n...apprRwy23z.jpg

KBUF 130454Z 26014KT 3SM -SN BR SCT011 OVC021 01/00 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP109 P0004 T00060000 401060000=

KBUF 130354Z 24011KT 3SM -SN BR SCT011 OVC021 01/M01 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP103 P0002 T00061006=

KBUF 130254Z 24015G22KT 3SM -SN BR FEW011 BKN021 OVC027 01/M01 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP097 P0001 60004 T00061006 51015=

KBUF 130154Z 24015G23KT 3SM -SN BR FEW011 OVC021 01/M01 A2978=

Source: OGIMET archive

Sorry to see this.
 

I might be wrong, but isn't this the first fatal crash of type?

Is it SOP in the Q400 to add flaps when capturing the GS? (Thinking Roselawn - flaps + ice). ATC reported the crash right at the outer marker, but looks like it might have been a bit outside the OM - where the descent begins from 2300'.

From the approach ATC audio, it sounded to me like the crew did not seem to be stressed or concerned while on the frequency. Maybe the tower freq. tape picked up something. Not to argue - it was just my impression.

[edit] Like Ricky1 says:

Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

depends on whether one counts the Q400 as a "new" type or a Dash-8 variant.