Firefighters are seen at the site of the
wreckage of a plane, a Continental Connection flight operated by Colgan
Air, which crashed in Clarence, near Buffalo, New York February 13, 2009.
Forty nine people were killed when the passenger plane crashed into a
house 10 miles (16 km) from Buffalo, New York, airport and burst into a
ball of flames late on Thursday, officials said. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
By Dan Fan
BUFFALO, United States, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- An
airliner crashed into a home in the U.S. state of New York on Thursday evening,
killing all 49 people aboard and another person on the ground, authorities said
early Friday.
Authorities are still investigating causes of the
tragedy, but a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
said crew of the ill-fated plane had discussed "significant ice buildup" on the
windshield and wings before the crash.
However, Stephen Chealander, the NTSB spokesman,
refrained from pinning ice buildup as the culprit of the crash, which killed
five crewmembers and 44 passengers, including one Chinese national.
Firefighters are seen at the crash site
of Continental Connection Flight 3407 operated by Colgan Air, which
crashed in Clarence, near Buffalo, New York February 13, 2009. Forty nine
people were killed when a plane crashed into a house near Buffalo, New
York, and burst into a ball of flames late on Thursday, officials
said.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Yao Shibin, born in 1971, was an employee at
PricewaterhouseCoopers, said Luo Gang, a consul at the Chinese Consulate General
in New York.
Chealander said the 50-seat commuter plane was
equipped with pneumatic icing boots. When turned on, the device would usually
expand and break free ice that has developed at the wings' edges,
Chealander said authorities are still sifting through
the wreckage at the site to recover the remains of the victims.
Both data and voice recorders, or black boxes, of the
plane have been recovered and sent to Washington for further analysis.
The crash occurred at around 10:20 p.m. Thursday
(0320 GMT Friday) in suburban Buffalo in northern New York state, nearly a
seven-hour drive from New York City.
The perimeter of the crash site has been cordoned
off, but witnesses living nearby have yet to recover from the fiery scene.
Ryan Mutton, who lives near the airport and is
familiar of the sound of planes, "heard something usual" at around 10:15 pm
Thursday.
"I got over there as soon as possible, about five
minutes later," Mutton said, "It's just like a bang fire."
Allison Blady, another middle-aged witness, saw the
plane "coming down just over my house."
"I saw the crash, and a big flame ball," She said.
"I'm panicked, scared, and very sad."
Joanathon Wiseman, a teenage boy, also heard a big
bang. "Smoke was coming down the street. You couldn't even breathe."
According to a partial list published on the website
of Buffalo News, the victims also included a 55-year-old Chinese American,
Zhaofang Guo, of Williamsville, New York.
The 50-seat commuter plane, Continental Express
Flight 3407 operated by Colgan Air, was flying from Newark to Buffalo when it
dived into a single-home house in Clarence Center.
A man in the house was killed but two women were able
to escape with minor injuries.
Twelve homes near the crash site had been evacuated.
At Buffalo Airport, a grateful Marti Becony hugged
her husband, David, who had missed flight 3407 when he tried to transfer at
Newark, escaping death.
"It was really a long trip," David told media.
Also among the victims in the deadly crash was
Beverly Eckert, who lost her husband in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Both U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, who served as a senator from the state of New York, paid
tribute to Eckert on Friday.
Obama, speaking in the White House's East Room, said
Eckert "was an inspiration to me and to so many others, and I pray that her
family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead."
In New York, Clinton told a gathering at the Asia
Society that Eckert was one of the "principal champions of the idea of the
creation of the 911 commission." She thanked her for "all she did in the midst
of her own tragedy."
The Continental Airlines issued a statement early
Friday expressing sadness concerning the crash.
"Continental extends its deepest sympathy to the
family members and loved ones of those involved in this accident," Larry
Kellner, chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines, said in the statement.
NEW YORK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- One Chinese national was among the 50 people that perished Thursday night when a Continental flight crashed into a single-home house in Clarence Center near Buffalo in northern New York state, a diplomat at the Chinese Consulate General in New York said Friday. Full story
BUFFALO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Crew of Continental
Connection Flight 3407 were talking about "significant ice buildup" shortly
before the plane dived into a one-home house, killing all 49 aboard and 1 man in
the house on Thursday, authorities said on Friday.
Stephen Chealander, a spokesman for the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB), told a press conference that cockpit voice recording shows
that the crew were discussing ice buildup on the windshield, although the
pneumatic icing boots were switched on. Full story
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) are investigating a plane crash
outside Buffalo, N.Y., the NTSB said on riday.
NTSB senior air safety investigator Lorenda Ward will serve as
investigator-in-charge of a probe team sent to the crash site, the agency said
in a statement. Full story
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama on Friday mourned the loss of lives in the plane crash outside Buffalo,
N.Y., on Thursday night, sending condolence messages to the families of the
victims.
"Michelle (Obama) and I are deeply saddened to hear of the
tragic accident outside Buffalo last night. Our hearts go out to the families
and friends who lost loved ones," he said in a written statement. Full story
NEW
YORK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- New York Governor David A. Paterson early Friday
mourned the victims of the plane crash that killed 48 people aboard late
Thursday.
"As we continue to monitor the situation in the Town
of Clarence, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were on
board, and with the people of the Buffalo metropolitan area," Paterson said in
an statement. Full story
NEW YORK, Feb. 13
(Xinhua) -- An official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said early
Friday there was no indication that terrorism was involved in the plane crash in
Buffalo, New York, Thursday night. Full story
NEW
YORK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The authorities have already had the passenger
manifest of the commuter plane that crashed on Thursday evening in the U.S.
state of New York, but will not disclose it before all victims' families are
notified, a local official said early Friday morning.
The passenger manifest is "forthcoming," but the
authorities will first notify all families of the victims before any individual
names can be revealed, said Dave Bissonette, emergency control director for the
Town of Clarence, at a press conference held in Clarence Center near Buffalo,
N.Y., in the wee hours of Friday.Full story
NEW YORK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- New York Governor David A.
Paterson early Friday mourned the victims of the plane crash that killed 48
people aboard late Thursday.
"As we continue to monitor the situation in the Town
of Clarence, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were on
board, and with the people of the Buffalo metropolitan area," Paterson said in
an statement. Full story
