The Buffalo News: The Tragedy of Flight 3407

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On Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 at 10:20 p.m., Continental flight 3407, en route from Newark, N.J., spun from the sky and crashed into a home as it made its approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. All 49 people on board the plane were killed, as was one man in the house in Clarence Center. It was the worst aviation accident in Western New York history.

The Investigation

'Flying Cheap' zeros in on Colgan

[Updated: 02/09/10 7:38 AM ]

WASHINGTON — The airline that operated Continental Connection Flight 3407 showed signs of safety weaknesses long before that plane plummeted to the ground in Clarence Center a year ago, PBS reports in a "Frontline" program to be aired nationwide tonight.

Inspector general faults FAA actions since Flight 3407 crash

[Updated: 02/04/10 11:47 PM ]

WASHINGTON — Government inspectors Thursday harshly criticized the Federal Aviation Administration for its response to the Colgan Air crash in Clarence center a year ago, saying the agency's effort to get airlines to voluntarily fix safety problems had not addressed the problems the accident raised.

Colgan role in tragedy gets further scrutiny

[Updated: 02/04/10 7:17 AM ]

WASHINGTON — The Families of Continental Flight 3407 hopes that the conclusions reached by the federal crash investigation will help the group in its fight for greater aviation safety — but airline pilots are not so sure.

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The Crash of Flight 3407

Pilot: 'Most icing I've seen'; Co-pilot: 'I've never de-iced.'

[Updated: 05/13/09 9:49 AM ]

WASHINGTON — As their plane approached Buffalo on Feb. 12, the pilot of Continental Connection Flight 3407 said he would rather be flying into Houston and noted his own lack of experience minutes before the plane crashed in Clarence on Feb. 12, and the co-pilot complained of her inexperience in icing conditions.

Perception of regional aircraft safety overshadows statistics

[Updated: 05/12/09 9:31 AM ]

Just about everyone has heard a friend or relative declare it: “I wouldn’t fly on one of those little airplanes for anything.”

Troopers thank Clarence community for help in Flight 3407 crash

[Updated: 04/25/09 11:06 AM ]

State Police Maj. Christopher L. Cummings carries a reminder of Flight 3407 wherever he goes. Safely tucked away inside the left shirt pocket of his uniform is a folded copy of a note that family members of those who died in the Feb. 12 plane crash issued after visiting the site in Clarence Center.

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The Victims and Families

Husband's death on Flight 3407 turned Robin Tolsma into a crusader for airline safety

[Updated: 02/07/10 10:04 AM ]

In Robin Tolsma's mind, the dream scene won't stop playing.

Awaiting Flight 3407 report, families plan for walk

[Updated: 01/27/10 7:12 AM ]

WASHINGTON — Federal investigators plan to release their report on the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 next week, while relatives of the crash’s victims are gearing up to mark its one-year anniversary Feb. 12 by walking from the Clarence Center accident site to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in Cheektowaga.