- Date
- February 12, 2009, 20:17 local (Feb 13, 2009, 01:17 UTC)
- Place
- Clarence Center, NY
- Injuries
- 50 fatal; on the ground: 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N200WQBombardier DHC-8-402
- Defining event
- Approach-IFR initial approach: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 2010
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- TSB - Canada, AAIB, NATCA, ALPA, Colgan, FAA, Steelworkers Union - flight attendants union
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 20090212001969A
- Case key
- 73351
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The captain’s inappropriate response to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover. Contributing to the accident were (1) the flight crew's failure to monitor airspeed in relation to the rising position of the low-speed cue, (2) the flight crew failure to adhere to sterile cockpit procedures, (3) the captain’s failure to effectively manage the flight, and (4) Colgan Air’s inadequate procedures for airspeed selection and management during approaches in icing conditions.
Findings · 14
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-10/01. On February 12, 2009, about 2217 eastern standard time, a Colgan Air, Inc., Bombardier DHC-8-400, N200WQ, operating as Continental Connection flight 3407, was on an instrument approach to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, Buffalo, New York, when it crashed into a residence in Clarence Center, New York, about 5 nautical miles northeast of the airport. The 2 pilots, 2 flight attendants, and 45 passengers aboard the airplane were killed, one person on the ground was killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-10/01. On February 12, 2009, about 2217 eastern standard time, a Colgan Air, Inc., Bombardier DHC-8-400, N200WQ, operating as Continental Connection flight 3407, was on an instrument approach to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, Buffalo, New York, when it crashed into a residence in Clarence Center, New York, about 5 nautical miles northeast of the airport. The 2 pilots, 2 flight attendants, and 45 passengers aboard the airplane were killed, one person on the ground was killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N200WQ
- Reported as
- Bombardier DHC-8-402
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4200
- Airframe hours
- 1,819
- Engines
- P&W Canada PW150A, 5,071 horsepower, turbo propP&W Canada PW150A, 5,071 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Colgan Air Inc, doing business as Continental Connection
- Registered owner
- Colgan Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 12, 2010
- Departed
- EWR · Newark, NJ
- Destination
- BUF · Buffalo, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BUF · Buffalo-Niagara International
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 3, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,263 total · 110 in this make and model · 1,205 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 16, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,238 total · 768 in this make and model · 1,350 as pilot in command · 174 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,100 ft broken
- Observed at
- BUF, 5 nm away
Docket · 136
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 12, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 184 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.