Pilot Inattention Blamed for Buffalo Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board released a transcript of the conversations recorded in the cockpit of Continental Flight 3407.  The February 12th flight ended tragically when the plane crashed into a house in Clarence, NY.  The crash killed all 49 people on board and one man on the ground.  The transcript detailed banter between captain Marvin Renslow and his first officer Rebecca Shaw which violated federal rules banning nonessential conversation below 10,000 feet.  Near the end of the recording, the conversation turned to ice gathering on the windshield and the preparation for landing.  A 10:16 p.m., part of the safety system which warns the crew of an impending stall began violently vibrating.  An alarm went off in the cockpit.  Twenty-nine seconds later the plan plunged into the ground. 

Colgan Air, the company operating that flight, has pointed fingers at the pilots.  Officials testified neither pilot was ready to respond quickly and appropriately to the stall warning.  During their conversation, the pilots failed to notice their speed had dropped.  Evidence showed once Captain Renslow received the stall warning as a result of their decreased speed, he reacted incorrectly by pulling the nose of the plane up.  The pilots' training is also being investigated, as are other issues such as the plane's response.  The results of the impending investigation will determine whether Colgan Air is liable for the actions of its employees resulting in the tragic accident.

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