Colgan Air Flight 3407 facts for kids
Colgan Air Flight 3407 was a passenger plane that crashed on February 12, 2009. It was flying from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York. The flight was operated for Continental Airlines under the name "Continental Connection." The aircraft, a Bombardier Dash-8 Q400, lost control in the air and crashed. This tragic event led to an important investigation into air safety.
What Happened?
On February 12, 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 was on its way to Buffalo, New York. The plane was getting ready to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. As it approached the airport, the plane suddenly lost speed and control. This loss of control is called an aerodynamic stall. When a plane stalls, its wings can no longer create enough lift to keep it in the air. The pilots could not recover from the stall, and the plane crashed into a house in Clarence Center, New York.
The crash happened about five miles from the airport. All 49 people on board the plane, including passengers and crew, sadly died. One person on the ground also died, and two others in the house were hurt. This was a very sad day for many families and for the community.
The Aircraft
The plane involved in the accident was a Bombardier Dash-8 Q400. This type of aircraft is a twin-engine turboprop plane. This means it uses propellers powered by jet engines. The specific plane, with the registration number N200WQ, was built in 2008. It was a relatively new aircraft. Colgan Air had been operating since 1991, and this was the first time one of their passenger flights had a fatal accident. The Dash-8 Q400 is known for being a reliable plane, often used for shorter flights.
The Investigation
After the crash, a team of experts from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began a detailed investigation. Their job was to find out exactly why the plane crashed. They looked at many things, including the plane's flight recorders. These "black boxes" record everything the pilots say and all the plane's movements.
The NTSB found that the pilots did not react correctly when the plane's speed dropped too low. They made certain control inputs that made the stall worse instead of better. The investigation also looked into pilot training, fatigue, and how pilots are tested. The goal of these investigations is to learn from accidents. This helps to make flying safer for everyone in the future.
Safety Improvements
The investigation into Flight 3407 led to important changes in aviation safety rules. Because of what was learned, new rules were put in place for pilot training and rest. For example, rules about how many hours pilots can fly and how much rest they must have were updated. There were also changes to how pilots are trained to handle stalls and how they are tested. These changes were made to help prevent similar accidents from happening again. The crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407, while tragic, helped make air travel even safer.
Images for kids
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Crash site of Flight 3407, showing the vertical tail fin near a house
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FAA approach map to runway 23 at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The flight crashed (marked in red) near a specific marker about five nautical miles from the runway.
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Then-U.S. President Barack Obama shaking hands with Beverly Eckert six days before the accident
See also
In Spanish: Vuelo 3407 de Colgan Air para niños
