13 FEB 2009 _______________________________________ *Colgan Air Q400 Impacts NY Home *Preliminary Accident Description *Commercial plane crashes into N.Y. hamlet *Plane crashes into suburban Buffalo-area home; 49 killed *KBUF ILS RWY 23 Approach Chart (attached) *************************************** Colgan Air Q400 Impacts NY Home 48 Onboard Turboprop, Reports Of 'Multiple Fatalities' Witness reports to national media indicate Continental Connection Flight 3407 impacted a home near Buffalo, NY in a near-vertical attitude Thursday night. At this time, firefighters are still working to contain the post-impact fire. Local officials have confirmed one fatality on the ground. At this time, there remains no official confirmation of fatalities onboard the airliner... though it seems unlikely any of the 44 passengers and four crew would have survived what appears to have been an extremely violent impact. ATC recordings streamed by liveatc.net (MP3 audio) reveal no apparent warning prior to the accident. The last recording sent from the accident flight was confirmation of the switch from approach to the tower frequency at BUF; the female pilot's tone of voice sounds rushed, though not necessarily any more so than is usual while on an ILS approach in busy airspace. The approach controller attempted to contact 3407 several times after, with no success. He then advised ground crews, "We need to find out if anything is on the ground... all I can tell you is aircraft over the marker and we're not talking to him now." The accident aircraft impacted in the vicinity of the KLUMP Initial Approach Fix, 4.4 nautical miles from the threshold of Runway 23 at BUF. A Delta Air Lines flight in trail of the Colgan aircraft reported light icing from 6,500' through 3,500'. At least two other airliners in the vicinity also reported rime icing in the minutes following the accident. The controller also asks other pilots in the area if they noticed any discrepancies with the localizer, after an MD88 reported fluctuations at around 1,500 feet. No error indications with the localizer were noted by the tower. ANN will update this story with the latest information available at 0900 EST Friday. Original Report 0001 EST (UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE HOUR): A Bombardier DHC-8-400 turboprop operated by Colgan Air as a Continental Connection flight crashed into a home in Clarence Center, NY Thursday night, as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF). Continental Connection Flight 3407 inbound from Newark, NJ reportedly impacted the home at 10:20 pm local time Thursday. The FAA has confirmed 44 passengers and four crew were onboard the turboprop airliner. Reports so far paint a grim picture as for survivors. The Buffalo News reports all persons onboard the airliner were lost in the crash, with one additional fatality on the ground... although that has not been confirmed by officials. "We have multiple fatalities," said Dave Bissonette, emergency coordinator for the town of Clarence Center. CNN reports two persons on the ground were transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. According to METAR information from BUF, light snow showers and 3 miles visibility were reported in the area at the time of the accident. Strong winds had delayed a number of flights throughout the northeastern US throughout the day Thursday. CNN reports the accident site is approximately five miles from Runway 23 at BUF. Officials are unaware of any distress call from the airliner prior to the crash; the last radar return showed the aircraft at 5,300 feet MSL at 207 knots, according to tracking data relayed by FlightAware.com. Colgan launched Continental Connection service from Newark in early 2008, operating a fleet of fifteen 74-seat Bombardier Q400s. The regional airline announced a follow-on order for 15 more aircraft last month. Colgan was purchased by Pinnacle Airlines Corp. in January 2007. FMI: www.faa.gov, www.colganair.com aero-news.net *************** 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= [Wind 240 degrees at 15 kts, gusting to 22kts; light snow, mist with a visibility of 3 miles; few clouds 1,100 ft.; broken clouds 2,100 ft.; overcast 2,700 ft. Temperature 0.6°C, Dewpoint -0.6°C] KBUF 130354Z 24011KT 3SM -SN BR SCT011 OVC021 01/M01 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP103 P0002 T00061006= [Wind 240 degrees at 11 kts; light snow, mist with a visibility of 3 miles; scattered clouds 1,100 ft.; overcast 2,100 ft.;Temperature 0.6°C, Dewpoint -0.6°C ACARS logs suggest that N200WQ was the aircraft involved in the accident. (aviation-safety.net) ************** Commercial plane crashes into N.Y. hamlet, killing 49 No survivors on flight; fire engulfs house By Matthew L. Wald The plane carried 44 passengers and a crew of four, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. State police early this morning said all 48 people aboard Flight 3407 were dead, according to the Associated Press. The Erie County executive, Chris Collins, said one person on the ground was also killed. Collins said the turbo-prop plane crashed about 10:20, five minutes before it was due to land. The house it crashed into was still engulfed in flames at 12:30 a.m., and Collins said that about 12 houses were evacuated. Trooper John Manthey of the New York State Police said the plane went down in the hamlet of Clarence Center. "It was just like a huge great big crash, a boom," said Sandra Baker, who lives two blocks from the crash site. "There was this banging sound" before the crash, she said. Then she said there was a boom, then a dark cloud and flames and the acrid smell of fuel and fire through the air. Another woman who lives farther from the scene described the sound before the crash as "a loud roar over my house." "It was like the whole house shook," said the woman, Jennifer Clark, who also lives on Railroad Street. "Then there was silence." Clark said she looked out of her window and saw a ball of flames rising into the sky. Baker described Clarence as "small-town USA," a place that will reel from what she was sure would be the biggest tragedy it has ever seen. The plane went down in light snow, said Ted Lopatkiewicz, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board. A joint investigation was being conducted by the State Police, the Erie County Sheriff's Office, and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. A safety board team of investigators will arrive in Buffalo this morning. The plane was a De Havilland DHC-8-400, a 74-seat twin-engine turboprop operated by Colgan Airways, a feeder airline for Continental. Colgan also flies as a feeder for US Airways and United Airlines. The airline operates 51 turbo-props. The last fatal crash involving a scheduled carrier in the United States was a ComAir regional jet in Lexington, Ky., in August 2006. The runway the crew chose was too short for takeoff; 47 passengers and two of the three crewmembers were killed. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/02/13/commercial_plane_crash es_into_ny_hamlet_killing_49/ *************** Plane crashes into suburban Buffalo-area home; 49 killed (CNN) -- A Continental Airlines plane crashed into a home near Buffalo, New York, late Thursday, killing 44 passengers and four crew members on board, according to New York State police. A huge fire burns from the wreckage of Continental Airlines Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York. Authorities also said one person on the ground was killed. It is not yet known whether that person was in the home at the time of the crash. Continental Connection Flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, was en route from Newark, New Jersey, when it went down, said Bill Peat with New York State Emergency Management in Albany. The crash occurred about seven miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The first sign of trouble was when Flight 3407 went off the radar. CNN has listened to a tape of communications between air traffic control and the flight crew. The first officer had no sign of stress in her voice initially. The plane was cleared for approach. About two minutes later, the air traffic controller came back, with stress in his voice. Radar contact was lost. The question went out: Can other planes see anything? No one responds. The controller says they might have a plane down. The pilot's last comment was "Colgan Flight 3407." There were no sounds of distress. Watch video from CNN affiliate WGRZ » The plane crashed about 10:20 p.m., hitting a Clarence Center, New York, home. Authorities said the plane went down near a local fire hall, so firefighters were quick to respond to the accident scene. Area resident Keith Burtis said he was driving to the store about a mile from the crash site when he heard the plane go down. "It was a high-pitched sound," Burtis said. "It felt like a mini-earthquake." Watch officials on the scene: 'This is not a rescue mission' » Shortly after the crash, Burtis said he saw a steady stream of fire trucks rush by him as smoke billowed into the sky. Other witnesses told CNN they saw the plane nose-dive toward the ground. According to the Buffalo News newspaper, one of the crash victims, Beverly Eckert, was the widow of 9/11 terror attack victim Sean Rooney, a Buffalo native. Eckert was traveling to Buffalo for a weekend celebration of what would have been her husband's 58th birthday. She also had planned to take part in presentation of a scholarship award at Canisius High School that she established in honor of her late husband, the newspaper reported. Her sister, Sue Bourque, said that while the family had not yet received official confirmation of her sister's fate, the reality was settling in. "We know she was on that plane," Bourque told the newspaper, "and now she's with him." Twelve residents were evacuated from the area of the plane crash. "I felt the impact ... sounded like a large explosion," said Brendan Biddlecon, who told CNN he lives two blocks from where the plane crashed. Watch report from witness: "All I saw was flames" » Biddlecon ran out his home and to within a couple hundred yards of the crash. The smoke was thick and acrid, and the heat was intense, he said. Are you on the scene? Let us know at iReport The Erie County Medical Examiner's Office established a command post at the scene and had investigators there, a statement from the office said. Officials said relatives of passengers aboard the flight should call 1-800-621-3263 for information. Watch what iReporter captured on film A statement from the airline said: "At this time, the full resources of Colgan Air's accident response team are being mobilized and will be devoted to cooperating with all authorities responding to the accident and to contacting family members and providing assistance to them." Continental Airlines confirmed that the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, a 74-seat turboprop, was operating between Newark Liberty International Airport and Buffalo. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) permanently grounded its fleet of Dash 8s after three crash landings during a two-month period in 2007 that were blamed on the aircraft's landing gear. "Confidence in the Q400 has diminished considerably and our customers are becoming increasingly doubtful about flying in this type of aircraft," Mats Jansson, president and CEO of SAS, said at the time. "I have decided to immediately remove Dash 8 Q400 aircraft from service." The National Transportation Safety Board said early Friday that was preparing a "go team" to head to Buffalo to investigate the crash. There was a wintry mix at the time of the crash, officials said. Watch more on the plane crash » At this time, officials said they are not concerned about a hazardous materials situation on the ground. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the crew, the passengers and our residents on Long Street," said Clarence Supervisor Scott Blylewski. Watch the brother of one the passengers speak » "This is clearly a tragedy," said Dave Bissonette, the town's natural disaster services coordinator. Rep. Chris Lee, R-New York, issued a statement: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic accident that occurred tonight in Clarence. Our focus right now is on supporting the first responders on the ground and their efforts to ensure the health and safety of people in the area. "I will do my best to provide helpful information as we learn more. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families at this difficult hour." http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/13/plane.crash.new.york/index.html ******************* http://www.airdisaster.com/news/photos/colgan.jpg Photo of N200WQ ******************* Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC