From
The BBC, my bold
The Continental Airlines pilot may have breached federal safety recommendations by flying in such conditions, investigator Steve Chealander said.
Pilots are recommended to fly manually in icy weather, he said.
Analysis of the plane's data recorders shows the crew noticed significant ice build-up on its wings before the crash.
"You may be able in a manual mode to sense something sooner than the autopilot can sense it," said Mr Chealander, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
He told the Associated Press news agency that the NTSB recommended pilots disengage their craft's autopilot facility in icy conditions.
Anyone else know anything about this little gem?