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Other pilots' experiences and evidence of the Buffalo airline accident that killed 50 people, points away from mechanical failure and toward icing and pilot actions as the cause of the catastrophe.

Just before the crash, the Colgan Air crew of Continental Connection Flight 3407 reported icing on the windshield, about a minute later the plane stalled, pitching and rolling violently, and fell to the ground within 26 seconds. According to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Steve Chealander, "Everything that's found thus far on the engine is consistent with high-powered flight," meaning, the plane's engine was running correctly.

Another Colgan turboprop that flew through the area about half an hour after Flight 3407 reported "moderate" icing and landed safely. Also, 50 miles south of the accident site, another flight crew reported the most dangerous category of icing, "severe," this crew also landed without incident.

In accordance with NTSB recommendations, the presence of ice in and around the area Flight 3407 went down in indictes that pilot, Capt. Marvin Renslow, should have been flying the plane manually. Instead, as the plane flew through dangerous weather, it was on autopilot, leaving Renslow with less than desireable feel for the plane. While the NTSB recommends that planes be flown manually in any icy conditions, the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA) says aircraft are safe on autopilot in "light to moderate icing," This discrepency in regulations is at the top of the NTSB's list of standards for the FAA to change.

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National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators look into the possibility of pilot error in the Colgan Air/Continental Flight 3407 accident.

Lorenda Ward, an NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator and Continental Flight 3407 accident investigator in charge, has "not concluded anything", but has suggested that the pilot may have over reacted when the plane's internal automatic safety system responded to a dangerous decrease in speed. As the plane's safety system sensed the decrease it tried to push the nose downward to avoid losing lift and regain speed. At this time, it is thought that the pilot, Capt. Marvin Renslow, may have over corrected, pulling back on the controls too severely, ultimately causing the plane to stall.

Also, against Colgan Air and the NTSB's recommendations, the plane was on autopilot while experiencing "significant ice." According to a Decmeber safety alert issued by the NTSB, pilots should operate aircraft manually when in icy conditions to better feel the changes in the handling quality of the plane.

Capt. Marvin Renslow had only 110 hours of experience flying the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 and only 3,400 flight hours total. Federal investigators will look into his and his co-pilot's actions in the days leading up to the flight to ensure they had the proper rest and personal management necessary to conduct an aircraft.

In addition to ongoing leads, investigators are looking to other pilots who were flying in the area during the time of the accident for reports on weather conditions, how they handled the weather and any other information that may help them understand what went wrong aboard Continental Flight 3407.

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Late Thursday night about 6 miles from Buffalo, NY pilots of a commuter plane mentioned "significant ice buildup" on the plane's wings and windshield just before it smashed into the ground killing all 49 people on board and one man on the ground.

Continental Flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, was en route from Newark, NJ to Buffalo Niagara International Airport when the crew began to discuss ice buildup on the "windshield and leading edge of the wings." At this point the co-pilot and first officer sounded calm as she talked to air traffic control. The crew, reportedly, turned on the plane's pneumatic icing boots, which expand, breaking any ice collected at the wings' edges; this de-icing system is said to be very sophisticated. Soon after, they dropped off the radar and air traffic controllers began asking planes flying nearby if they could see any sign of the aircraft; there was no response.

At 10:20 p.m. ET the plane crashed into a home and burst into flames killing everyone on board as well as Doug Wielinski; his wife and daughter, although trapped beneath the rubble, made it out of the house with minor injuries. Because the plane hit only the Wielinski's house, there are speculations that the plane was at an extreme angle. One witness described the plane's nose as "lower than usual."

According to reports by Steve Chealander of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), "the flight's cockpit voice and data recorders indicated that the plane underwent 'severe' pitching and rolling motions after the landing gear was lowered and wing flaps were set for approach." He also explained that the crew attempted to reset the flaps shortly before the recordings ended. More shockingly, it has been reported that the plane was in autopilot when it went down, this is against airline regulations. In icy conditions it is recommended that pilots fly planes manually, in severe ice, however, pilots are required to do so.

Although other flights in the air at the time reported icing, they all landed safely. Chealander added that there was snow and mist as they descended and that "a significant ice buildup is an aerodynamic impediment."

Victims of the accident include: Marvin Renslow, Douglas Wielinski, Gerry Niewood, Coleman Mellett, Rebecca Shaw, Alison Des Forges, Susan Wehle, Beverly Eckert, Lorin Maurer, Madeline Loftus and Mary Pettys.

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Our team has helped many families recover physcially, financially, and emotionally from life-changing events. If you have legal questions concerning an aviation or commercial airline accident, the experienced staff at Arnold & Itkin LLP can help you find the resources and answers you need.

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The role of pilot error in the crash of Continental Flight 3407 in Buffalo, New York last week hasn’t been determined yet, but it is a fact that pilots who work for smaller airlines like Colgan Air which had been responsible for the operation of Flight 3407, often have less flying experience than pilots who fly for major airlines.

Colgan Air's pilot for instance, had just 3½ years of experience, and had clocked in 3,400 flight hours. His co-pilot had been flying for just about a year and a half at the time of the plane crash.   An average American Airlines pilot, in contrast, has about 18 years of service, and has typically clocked several thousands of hours on the job. Additionally, a regional airline may hire a new pilot who has just about 2,000 hours of flying experience. In times of great demand for pilots, those rules may even be relaxed.  At the major airlines, however, new pilots are required to have between 5,000 and 6,000 flying hours to their credit. That difference in work experience is also mirrored in the salaries that these pilots earn. A pilot with a small, feeder, regional airline can earn as little as $18,000 a year. Colgan Air's co-pilots make about $27,000 yearly, and captains with the airline make $58,000 per year, data shows. In comparison, American Airlines pay their pilots about $138,000 annually. 

These airlines typically link big metros to smaller towns and cities nearby, and because their pilots operate shorter flights, they have to work a greater number of days to make up their quota which is typically about 83 hours per month.  Regional carrier pilots insist that the lack of flying hours does not, in any way, indicate a lack of experience. They are after all, used to frequent take offs and landings, several times in a day in many cases, and are comfortable flying in all kinds of weather conditions. The fact however, is that as recently as a month ago, Colgan Air had a listing on its website for co pilots. The ad required applicants to have a minimum of just 600 flying hours.

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