Continental Airlines Flight Crashes Into Home

This is why I fly Southwest, they don’t have no money to be paying out–so they are extra careful. Continental Airlines wasn’t so lucky as the prior plane who had to land quickly.

“This is easily the saddest day in the history of our airline,” said Philip Trenary, CEO of Colgan Air, which operated the flight for Continental. Continental Connection Flight 3407, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 74-seat turboprop, was en route from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo when it went down at around 10:20 p.m. ET, about seven miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Dave Bissonette, Clarence Center’s natural disaster services coordinator, said it was “clearly a direct hit” on the house. Video See what’s left of the plane »

Four people were injured at the crash site, including a mother and daughter inside the house that was hit. They suffered minor injuries and were treated and released from a Williamsville hospital, a spokeswoman said. Two firefighters also were brought in for treatment of smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

The ferocity of the fire was such that officials don’t expect the crash site to be safe for investigators until about noon Friday, nearly 14 hours after the crash.

CNN has listened to a tape of communications between air traffic control and the flight crew. The first officer was calm. The plane was cleared for approach. About two minutes later, the air traffic controller came back, his voice full of stress. Radar contact was lost.

Other planes continued to arrive and land safely at Buffalo about the time the flight went down. Delta Flight 1998, an MD-88 jet, landed at 10:17 p.m. The Delta crew did not see Flight 3407.

The Delta flight reported rime icing, a condition in which ice quickly builds up on the leading edge of the wings. A US Airways flight also reported icing.

Authorities said the plane went down near a fire hall, so firefighters were quick to respond to the crash site. At least nine volunteer fire departments responded.

Witness Tony Tatro was on his way home from the gym when the plane flew about 75 feet above him. The craft’s nose was lower than usual and and the left wing was tilted, he told CNN.

Rest in peace to all the peole who lost there lives.