Continental Airlines Flight Crashes in Buffalo

A Continental Airlines plane has crashed in Buffalo, New York, this evening. Reports state that there were 48 people aboard and appear to be no survivors.

Credit: Associated Press

From CNN:

Flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, was en route from Newark, New Jersey, when it went down in Clarence Center, said Bill Peat with New York State Emergency Management in Albany.

The plane crashed about 10:20 p.m., hitting a home and bursting into a fireball, according to New York State Trooper John Manthey.

The crash took place about seven miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Area resident Keith Burtis said he was driving to the store about a mile from the crash site when he heard the plane go down. “It was a high-pitched sound,” Burtis said. “It felt like a mini-earthquake.”

Shortly after the crash, Burtis said he saw a steady stream of fire trucks rush by him as smoke billowed into the sky.

Continental Airlines confirmed that the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 was operating between Newark Liberty International Airport and Buffalo.

The National Transportation Safety Board said early Friday that is was preparing a “go team” to head to Buffalo to investigate the crash. The aircraft has seating capacity of 74, officials said.

There was a light mix of snow and sleet at the time of the crash, officials said.

Officials said relatives of passengers aboard the flight should call 1-800-621-3263 for information.

At this time, officials said they are not concerned about a hazardous materials situation on the ground.

From the New York Times:

A Continental Express flight from Newark to Buffalo crashed into a house about four to six miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Thursday night, killing 49 people, officials said.

The plane carried 44 passengers and a crew of 4, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, Ted Lopatkiewicz, said at midnight that he he did not know if there had been any survivors on the plane. The Erie County executive, Chris Collins, said at a news conference that 49 people, including one on the ground, were killed.

Mr. Collins said the plane, Continental Airlines Flight 3407, crashed about 10:20, five minutes before it was due to land. The house it crashed into was still fully engulfed in flames at 12:30 a.m., and Mr. Collins said that about 12 houses were evacuated and a limited state of emergency was declared.