Continental Flt 3407 Crash at Buffalo/Niagra Intr'nal

[Localizer]

A Continental flight operated by Colgan Air crashed this evening at Buffalo/Niagra International .... apparently a Dash-8 Q400 ... 49 dead in total including one on the ground as the plane crashed into a house. Pilot reported mechanical issues prior to the crash. Plane hit 5nm short of the runway ... very sad.

[sky's the limit]

I'm very sorry to hear that.

Thoughts go out to the families of all involved.

stl



Plane crashes into home near Buffalo, N.Y.

A small commuter aircraft has crashed into a house near Buffalo, N.Y., according to local media reports.

Television station WGRZ reported late Thursday night that a plane had crashed into a home in the town of Clarence Centre.

Local media reports indicated that the plane was believed to be carrying about 50 passengers and was headed for Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

It is not yet clear whether there were injuries or deaths in the crash.

[Inverted2]

Very sad, it is saying no survivors.
Was a Colgan Q400

[ehbuddy]

10:08 249 kts 8400'

10:09 236 kts 7400'

10:10 231 kts 6400'

10:11 207 kts 5300'


Last radar hits showed a 1000' per minute descent and speed reductions inline with an approach. No radar info from 10:08 to 10:07 so whatever took place happened very quickly.

[e300d]

Buffalo WX...

Apparently crash happened at about 0320 Z




KBUF 130552Z 31010KT 1SM R23/5000VP6000FT -SN BR BKN007 OVC013 00/M01 A2985 RMK AO2 CIG 003V010 P0000
KBUF 130505Z COR 25012KT 4SM -SN BR BKN008 BKN015 OVC021 01/00 A2983 RMK AO2 CIG 005V011 P0000
KBUF 130458Z 25012KT 3SM -FZRA BR BKN008 OVC015 01/00 A2983 RMK AO2 FZRAB58SNE58 CIG 005V012 P0000
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 RMK AO2 SLP092 P0001 T00061006
KBUF 130149Z 24015KT 3SM -SN BR FEW011 OVC021 01/M01 A2978 RMK AO2 P0001
KBUF 130111Z 23014KT 2SM -SN BR OVC017 01/M01 A2977 RMK AO2 P0001
KBUF 130520Z 1306/1406 26013KT 5SM -SN BR SCT008 OVC015
TEMPO 1306/1309 3SM -RASN BR BKN008
FM130900 29012KT P6SM BKN025
FM131200 32010KT P6SM SCT025 BKN120
FM131800 32006KT P6SM SCT030

[DBC]

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

3407 comes on a few minutes in.

[sky's the limit]

A video from CNN:



http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/02/13/pl ... nnSTCVideo

[e300d]

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

3407 comes on a few minutes in.

Approach cleared 3407 to the beacon for RWY 23, then handed them off to twr freq and . That was their last communication....

[DBC]

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

3407 comes on a few minutes in.

Approach cleared 3407 to the beacon for RWY 23, then handed them off to twr freq and . That was their last communication....

The file wasn't streaming anything from tower at that time, so not sure if they made contact at all with them. In other parts of the file you can hear KBUF tower though.

[e300d]

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

3407 comes on a few minutes in.

Approach cleared 3407 to the beacon for RWY 23, then handed them off to twr freq and . That was their last communication....

The file wasn't streaming anything from tower at that time, so not sure if they made contact at all with them. In other parts of the file you can hear KBUF tower though.

I see....


OT:
I see the Continental Q400's at YYZ all the time.... I guess until about a year ago they were using the E145 jets on those routes...(USA - yyz)

[e300d]

I was just listening to the 0330Z Liveatc archive and approach had another Colgan Q400 on approach.

Approach advised that company Q400 went down 5 nm short of runway....Approach did say that Colgan 3407 was switched over to tower freq. 3407 never made a call to tower. They lost his (3407) transponder and that was it..

[Apache64_]

Thoughts and Prayers to the crew, passengers and possibly victims on the ground. Very sad to hear.

Apache

[DBC]

the 0330z mp3 states that they never contacted tower at all while the next Colgan flight is setting up for the approach

[ehbuddy]

When they are cleared for the ILS you can hear the stress in the voice of the female pilot when she reads back the clearance.

Radar imaging shows they flew through a nasty cell just a few minutes before they were cleared for the approach.

[CitationSov]

wow all perished???

I wonder what the cause was...

[E-Flyer]

Oh boy

[bmc]

I did a quick browse through the pprune and it sounds like a few flights reported ice on the descent.

Not speculating. Just sharing.

Condolenses.

[pilotbzh]

Tail Icing ??? Sound like a tail stall during a change of flaps setting resulting in a lost of control no other faillure beside a wing comming off could explain losing control once established on the ILS in descent weather 5 miles back.

Very sade

[Tim]

very sad indeed. more trouble with the q400 could be very bad for bombardier. looking forward to hearing the details.

[Tim]

deleted, incorrect info posted

[Prairie Chicken]

Preliminary Accident Description

Status: Preliminary
Date: 12 FEB 2009
Time: ca 22:20
Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402 Q400
Operator: Colgan Air
Registration: N200WQ
C/n / msn: 4200
First flight: 2008
Crew: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Passengers: Fatalities: 44 / Occupants: 44
Total: Fatalities: 48 / Occupants: 48
Ground casualties: Fatalities: 1
Airplane damage: Written off
Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: 10 km (6.3 mls) NE of Buffalo Niagara International Airport, NY (BUF) (United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Newark-Liberty International Airport, NJ (EWR/KEWR), United States of America
Destination airport: Buffalo Niagara International Airport, NY (BUF/KBUF), United States of America
Flightnumber: 3407

Narrative:
Continental Connection Flight CJC3407, operated by Colgan Air, departed Newark-Liberty International Airport, NJ (EWR) at 21:20 on a domestic flight to Buffalo Airport, NY (BUF).
The airplane, a DHC-8, is reported to have crashed in a residential area of Buffalo, NY while on approach to the airport. It struck a house in Clarence Center, starting a huge fire.
Weather reported about the time of the accident (03:20 UTC):
KBUF 130254Z 24015G22KT 3SM -SN BR FEW011 BKN021 OVC027 01/M01 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP097 P0001 60004 T00061006 51015=
KBUF 130354Z 24011KT 3SM -SN BR SCT011 OVC021 01/M01 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP103 P0002 T00061006=

Very, very sad.

[Stinky]

Tail Icing ??? Sound like a tail stall during a change of flaps setting resulting in a lost of control no other faillure beside a wing comming off could explain losing control once established on the ILS in descent weather 5 miles back.

I was thinking the same thing, right where you'd be putting some extra workload on the autopilot by selecting flaps and intercepting localizer. If you're already iced up and the autopilot unexpectedly disengages it could be a problem.

Sorry to speculate, I know some people get annoyed with that.

[teacher]

My thoughts and prayers are with my fellow dash pilots today and all their passengers.

[Changes in Latitudes]

Pilot reported mechanical issues prior to the crash. Plane hit 5nm short of the runway ... very sad.

I can't find anything to support your statement of reported mechanical issues.

[V1RotateV2]

Tail Icing ??? Sound like a tail stall during a change of flaps setting resulting in a lost of control no other faillure beside a wing comming off could explain losing control once established on the ILS in descent weather 5 miles back.

Pilot reported mechanical issues prior to the crash. Plane hit 5nm short of the runway ... very sad.

The crash site is still too hot for the NTSB to start an investigation and we already have people speculating on the cause. That is very sad.

Let's just pray for the victims (including two fellow pilots and two FAs) and wait for some factual information before assuming anything. If for no other reason, just out of respect for the crew.