Jump to content

Buffalo Plane Crash

Rajiv

By Rajiv
in Chit Chat

 Share

Recommended Posts

fineleg Apprentice

fineleg

Posted
Posted

Heard on news now all 49 (crew+passengers+ someone on ground) died. May their souls rest in peace. Really sad incident. Poor affected families. May God give them strength.

coffee_rules Grand Master

coffee_rules

Posted
Posted

A woman whose husband had died in 9/11, died in this plane crash. Very tragic and ironic. Truly, a match made in heaven. I have travelled on the same jet 2 months back, from the same airport (Newark) to a different location on the same airline (Continental). That's 3 in a row for continental flights in less than 3 months. First, there was a plane on fire in Denver, then the Hudson landing and now this. I will never fly continental for some time now.

Sachin_Rulez Newbie

Sachin_Rulez

Posted
Posted
A woman whose husband had died in 9/11' date=' died in this plane crash. Very tragic and ironic. Truly, a match made in heaven. I have travelled on the same jet 2 months back, from the same airport (Newark) to a different location on the same airline (Continental). That's 3 in a row for continental flights in less than 3 months. First, there was a plane on fire in Denver, then the [b']Hudson landing and now this. I will never fly continental for some time now.
Very sad indeed. RIP!! Btw, Hudson episode was US airways not continental.
fineleg Apprentice

fineleg

Posted
Posted
Flight 3407 was on autopilot just before it crashed near Buffalo in icy weather, National Transportation Safety Board officials said yesterday, a decision the crew made even as two federal agencies have sent conflicting signals to pilots about whether to use the autopilot in such conditions. Just 26 seconds before crashing, the autopilot was disengaged and the plane began to pitch wildly, at one point dropping from 1,800 feet to 1,000 feet in five seconds. The pilots engaged the Bombardier Q400 turboprop's full power "to try to get some flying airspeed back," said Steven Chealander, the NTSB member overseeing the investigation, in a briefing. Chealander said the plane's flight data recorder indicates the plane pitched up at an angle of 31 degrees, then pitched down at 45 degrees. The plane rolled to the left at 46 degrees, then snapped back to the right to 105 degrees. The severe drop, Chealander said, made those on board experience G forces up to double what's normal for the ground. The commuter plane - a Colgan Airlines plane running a commuter route for Continental Airlines - crashed on a house in upstate Clarence Center, killing all 49 passengers and crew aboard and one man in the home. Remains of about 15 victims were recovered yesterday, authorities said. Chealander said there was still no explanation for why the plane was facing away from the airport on impact. The crash occurred as the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration have been discussing whether flying on autopilot in icy conditions is safe. In December, the NTSB issued a safety alert that recommended against flying on autopilot in icy conditions. "Using the autopilot can hide changes in the handling qualities of the airplane that may be a precursor to premature stalling or loss of control," it said. The alert was only a recommendation. Only the FAA has the power to require airlines to change policies through the regulatory process. The NTSB wrote to the FAA of its findings, which came out of a separate investigation into a crash involving ice, Chealander said. The FAA wrote back, saying autopilot was safe in some icy conditions, Chealander said. "We suggest that you take it off of autopilot to better feel the airplane and better stay ahead rapidly of those changes because of icing," Chealander said. "In this one situation, the FAA sees things a little differently than we do." FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency advised pilots in 2006 to disengage the autopilot in icy conditions. But it is not mandatory, she said, because some planes have autopilots certified to fly in ice. So the FAA recommends pilots follow guidelines issued by the aircraft's manufacturer. Chealander said several airlines, including Colgan, had adopted the NTSB's recommendation. However, the airplane's manual states that autopilot should be disengaged during "severe icing," Chealander said, a condition that may not have existed on Thursday night. "Thus far, we haven't determined that it's severe icing. So far we see that everything seemed to be normal in using the autopilot," Chealander said, adding: "To say they should not have been flying on autopilot is not correct." Colgan Airlines did not return phone calls last night. The flight was delayed more than two hours out of Newark because of high winds, Chealander said. The crew was told the weather in Buffalo was light to moderate icing with snow and mist. The de-icing system was engaged 11 minutes after takeoff and appeared to be working fine, he said. "It was really not a bad weather day and they chose to launch," he said. How it happened. How the pilot of Flight 3407 lost control of the Bombardier Q400 turboprop 1. 26 seconds before crash, autopilot is disengaged. 2. Plane drops 800 feet in five seconds. 3. Pilot tries to regain control, plane lurches up 31 degrees 4. Plane noses down 45 degrees while rolling 46 degrees to the left. 5. Plane then pitches 105 degrees to the right
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...