NTSB blames pilot errors for deadly Buffalo plane crash

After a year-long probe, Federal investigators said there was no mechanical failure and that weather played no role in the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 last year on Feb. 12.

They instead blamed pilot errors and poor training as key factors in the fatal crash that killed 49 people on board and one on the ground.

Probe blames captain, crew
In a report on the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Capt. Marvin Renslow, who pulled instead of pushing a control column, and an inattentive crew led the Continental commuter flight from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo International Airport in New York State to crash last year.

The report says that the pilot's "inappropriate response" to a warning mechanism on the American commuter flight caused the plane to plummet to the ground.

Operated for Continental Airlines by regional air carrier Colgan Air Inc., Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed into a house near Buffalo, N.Y. during landing when the plane experienced an aerodynamic stall and went into a dive on Feb. 12, 2009, killing two pilots, two flight attendants and 45 passengers on the plane, along with a man on the ground.

Crash could have been saved
The probe shows that moments before the end of the flight, two pieces of safety equipment were activated--a stick shaker that indicated to Capt. Marvin Renslow, 47, and 24-year-old First Officer Rebecca Shaw that they were in danger of stalling, and a stick pusher that points the nose of the plane down so it can gain speed.

However, Renslow pulled the nose of the plane up, the opposite of what he should have done. The captain could have recovered from the stall but he did the exact opposite of what he needed to do to prevent the crash.

"When the stick shaker activated to warn the flight crew of an impending aerodynamic stall, the captain should have responded correctly to the situation by pushing forward on the control column," the NTSB said in its report.

"However, the captain inappropriately pulled aft on the control column and placed the airplane into an accelerated aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover."

Crew also at fault
The three-member board also blamed the plane's crew for not recognizing information on their flight displays, indicating they were nearing an emergency situation.

The safety board said First officer Rebecca Shaw should have stepped in to point the nose down but may not have done so due to her lack of experience.

In addition to the crew’s failure to monitor the plane's air speed, the captain's failure to properly manage the flight and the excessive chatter between the pilot and co-pilot during the landing, which is a clear violation of FAA rules, were the contributing factors to the accident, the report said.

Deborah Hersman, chairman of the safety board, said: "What this investigation reveals is a picture of complacency resulting in catastrophe."

She said the crash casts doubt on the ability of regional airlines whether they maintain the same safety standards as major airlines. Hersman promised to pursue the issue.