eb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- The Pinnacle Airlines Corp. crash in upstate New York was at least the 10th for the regional carrier and its Colgan Air unit since 2001, government data show. It was the third accident with fatalities.
Colgan was operating Flight 3407 for Continental Airlines Inc. when the Bombardier Inc. Dash 8 Q400 turboprop fell to the ground short of the Buffalo airport late yesterday, bursting into flames and killing all 49 people on board and 1 on the ground.
Neither of the other fatal crashes since 2001 involved passengers, according to a National Transportation Safety Board database. Memphis, Tennessee-based Pinnacle, a former Northwest Airlines unit, provides commuter flights for bigger carriers.
In October 2004, both pilots on a Pinnacle regional jet were killed in Jefferson City, Missouri, after a “pilot-induced aerodynamic stall” caused both engines to flame out and not restart, according to the NTSB report on the incident.
The empty Bombardier CL-600 was being ferried from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Minneapolis as part of Pinnacle’s contract as a regional partner for Northwest. The pilots took the aircraft to 41,000 feet, restricting fuel flow to the engines, the safety board found. Thin air at that altitude robs engines of power.
“We don’t have any passengers on board so we decided to have a little fun and come on up here,” the captain said shortly before the crash, according to the accident report.
‘Poor Airmanship’
“Unprofessional behavior” and “poor airmanship” contributed to the crash, the NTSB concluded.
In August 2003, Colgan Flight 9446 crashed in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, killing the two pilots who were flying an empty Beech 1900D turboprop from Albany, New York. It was the first flight after the plane’s forward elevator trim cable had been replaced and improperly installed, the NTSB found. Colgan was operating that flight for US Airways Express.
Pinnacle spokesman Joe Williams didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment today. Chief Executive Officer Philip H. Trenary told reporters in Amherst, New York, that the turboprops of the type involved in yesterday’s crash have “an outstanding safety record.”
Pinnacle tumbled 61 cents, or 26 percent, to $1.74 at 11:58 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading.
The airline bought Manassas, Virginia-based Colgan in January 2007 for $20 million. Colgan at the time was flying for Continental, UAL Corp.’s United Airlines and US Airways Group Inc.
Most of the other crashes since 2001 involving Pinnacle and Colgan planes were being operated for US Airways or Northwest, according to NTSB data.
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Friday, February 13, 2009
Crashed commuter plane was new, had good record
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The commuter plane that crashed into a home near Buffalo, N.Y., was new and had a clean safety record, officials said Friday, leaving investigators few immediate clues about why it suddenly plunged just minutes before its planned landing, killing 50 people.
The twin turboprop aircraft — Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, N.J. — was coming in for a landing when it went crashed Thursday night about five miles short of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The flight was operated by Colgan Air, Inc., based in Manassas, Va. Colgan is owned by Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
The 74-seat Q400 Bombardier aircraft, registered last April, was delayed almost two hours before departing Newark, N.J.
But Philip H. Trenary, who heads Pinnacle Airlines Corp. and operator Colgan Air, Inc., said at a news conference Friday that he didn't know why there was a delay.
Trenary said the plane was a "next-generation turbo prop, very modern."
"It's an aircraft that's had flawless service," he said. "So no, there have been no indications of problems with the aircraft."
Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne said the plane was put into service very recently and is only a few months old.
Though skies were foggy and winds were 17 mph, there was no indication of anything out of the ordinary and no mayday call from the pilot, according to a recording of air traffic control radio messages captured by the Web site LiveATC.net.
William Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, said the near vertical drop of the plane suggests a sudden loss of control. One witness said the plane "basically dove" onto house.
Voss said possible causes include icing or a mechanical failure, such as wing flaps deploying out of synch to different positions or the two engines putting out uneven thrust. Similarly, Don Maciejewski, a former military pilot and aviation attorney, said the sharp drop coupled with a witness who reported hearing a change in engine noise could indicate engine failure or ice buildup on the tail.
"There are a limited number of things that can cause an aircraft to lose control," Voss said.
Wind gusts hit 65 mph on Thursday and the Federal Aviation Administration said flights were delayed by nearly four hours at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Trenary also would not speculate on if weather played a role in the crash, which killed all 49 people on board and one on the ground.
The Q400 is popular for intermediate flights, especially after recent spikes in aviation fuel prices.
The Q400 has not been involved in any fatal crashes in the United States, though it has had problems with it's landing gear.
Scandinavian Airlines grounded its 27 Dash 8 Q400 aircraft in 2007 after problems with landing gear caused three crash landings in seven weeks in Europe. No one was seriously hurt in those accidents.
Voss said it's "extremely unlikely" landing gear played a role in the crash five miles from the airport.
Bombardier said it has dispatched a product safety and technical team to the site to assist the National Transportation Safety Board with their investigation.
The twin turboprop aircraft — Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, N.J. — was coming in for a landing when it went crashed Thursday night about five miles short of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The flight was operated by Colgan Air, Inc., based in Manassas, Va. Colgan is owned by Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
The 74-seat Q400 Bombardier aircraft, registered last April, was delayed almost two hours before departing Newark, N.J.
But Philip H. Trenary, who heads Pinnacle Airlines Corp. and operator Colgan Air, Inc., said at a news conference Friday that he didn't know why there was a delay.
Trenary said the plane was a "next-generation turbo prop, very modern."
"It's an aircraft that's had flawless service," he said. "So no, there have been no indications of problems with the aircraft."
Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne said the plane was put into service very recently and is only a few months old.
Though skies were foggy and winds were 17 mph, there was no indication of anything out of the ordinary and no mayday call from the pilot, according to a recording of air traffic control radio messages captured by the Web site LiveATC.net.
William Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, said the near vertical drop of the plane suggests a sudden loss of control. One witness said the plane "basically dove" onto house.
Voss said possible causes include icing or a mechanical failure, such as wing flaps deploying out of synch to different positions or the two engines putting out uneven thrust. Similarly, Don Maciejewski, a former military pilot and aviation attorney, said the sharp drop coupled with a witness who reported hearing a change in engine noise could indicate engine failure or ice buildup on the tail.
"There are a limited number of things that can cause an aircraft to lose control," Voss said.
Wind gusts hit 65 mph on Thursday and the Federal Aviation Administration said flights were delayed by nearly four hours at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Trenary also would not speculate on if weather played a role in the crash, which killed all 49 people on board and one on the ground.
The Q400 is popular for intermediate flights, especially after recent spikes in aviation fuel prices.
The Q400 has not been involved in any fatal crashes in the United States, though it has had problems with it's landing gear.
Scandinavian Airlines grounded its 27 Dash 8 Q400 aircraft in 2007 after problems with landing gear caused three crash landings in seven weeks in Europe. No one was seriously hurt in those accidents.
Voss said it's "extremely unlikely" landing gear played a role in the crash five miles from the airport.
Bombardier said it has dispatched a product safety and technical team to the site to assist the National Transportation Safety Board with their investigation.
Pinnacle Air Shares Fall After Fatal Crash
Shares of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (PNCL) fell more than 24%, to trade at $1.78 midday Friday, following the fatal crash near Buffalo, N.Y., of a Bombardier Inc. (BDRBF) Q400 aircraft operated by its Colgan Air Inc. unit on behalf of Continental Airlines Inc. (CAL).
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board said Friday they had recovered the 'black box' of recorded flight data. But they said it would take time to determine the cause of the accident, which took the lives of all 49 people on board the plane, and one person on the ground.
Analyst Bob McAdoo at Avondale Partners LLC, said shareholders sold off in a " knee-jerk" reaction to the news. "Typically this can happen after an accident, but it doesn't have a long-term impact," he said.
Airline stocks have suffered lately as investors worry that the economic recession will hurt passenger traffic.
Most U.S. major carriers outsource regional flying to companies like Pinnacle that operate multiple brands and mostly fly in the colors and flight numbers of the national airlines. American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. (AMR) owns a regional subsidiary, American Eagle, and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), owns a regional carrier, Comair, but also contracts with outside regional carriers.
Although they don't make contract information public, the big airlines recently have been pressing for more cost-savings from their regional partners. Typically, regional airlines - which serve small markets where big airlines don't fly - pay a fixed price per flight, with the majors picking up the fuel tab. That was particularly painful for large carriers last summer, when fuel prices skyrocketed to record highs. Now, with the recession in full swing, airlines are looking to trim routes that don't make money, including many flights to smaller markets.
Pinnacle, one of the largest U.S. regionals, acquired Colgan in January, 2007, at a time when it was unwinding a long-term relationship with Northwest Airlines Corp., then under bankruptcy protection. Colgan also operates services for the United Express unit of UAL Corp. (UAL), the parent of United Airlines, and for US Airways Inc. (LCC).
Memphis-based Pinnacle, which employs 6,000 people, recently signed a new 10- year deal to operate services for Continental through its Colgan unit.
The deal envisioned Colgan doubling its Q400 aircraft fleet to 30, with deliveries starting next year.
Q400 Turboprop A Winner For Bombardier
While turboprop aircraft lost ground to a new breed of regional jets during the 1990s - partly because of negative passenger perceptions - the segment has made a comeback as fuel prices rose and jets became inefficient on shorter routes.
Bombardier has received nearly 1,000 firm orders for the Q-series aircraft, including 347 for the Q400.
There are more than 100 customers worldwide for the Q400, Bombardier said, including several U.S. airlines. Horizon Air, a unit of Alaska Air Group Inc. ( ALK), plans over time to switch to an all-Q400 fleet. It recently said it would defer some aircraft deliveries due to the weak economy. That was the first deferral for the Q400, according to Bombardier. Porter Airlines, a commuter airline in Canada, already flies a Q400-only fleet.
The Q400 was involved in some previous, less serious, crashes in Japan and Scandinavia several years ago, related to problems with the landing gear.
The insurer for the Colgan aircraft was United States Aircraft Insurance Group, a pool comprised of U.S. property/casualty and reinsurance companies that issue aviation insurance policies, according to a report by the Insurance Insider, an industry newsletter.
The turboprops are a key part of Continental's network from Newark Liberty International Airport, viewed as the airline's prize asset for its significant market share in New York and New Jersey, connecting with international flights.
Continental uses Colgan and the Q400 to feed passengers from smaller airports in the tri-state region. Continental shares recently traded up less than 1%, at $13.20.
-By Doug Cameron, Dow Jones Newswires; 312 750 4135
-Ann Keeton, Dow Jones; 312-750-4120; ann.keeton@dowjones.com
-Monica Gutshi and Lavonne Kuykendall contributed to this report.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-13-09 1332ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board said Friday they had recovered the 'black box' of recorded flight data. But they said it would take time to determine the cause of the accident, which took the lives of all 49 people on board the plane, and one person on the ground.
Analyst Bob McAdoo at Avondale Partners LLC, said shareholders sold off in a " knee-jerk" reaction to the news. "Typically this can happen after an accident, but it doesn't have a long-term impact," he said.
Airline stocks have suffered lately as investors worry that the economic recession will hurt passenger traffic.
Most U.S. major carriers outsource regional flying to companies like Pinnacle that operate multiple brands and mostly fly in the colors and flight numbers of the national airlines. American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. (AMR) owns a regional subsidiary, American Eagle, and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), owns a regional carrier, Comair, but also contracts with outside regional carriers.
Although they don't make contract information public, the big airlines recently have been pressing for more cost-savings from their regional partners. Typically, regional airlines - which serve small markets where big airlines don't fly - pay a fixed price per flight, with the majors picking up the fuel tab. That was particularly painful for large carriers last summer, when fuel prices skyrocketed to record highs. Now, with the recession in full swing, airlines are looking to trim routes that don't make money, including many flights to smaller markets.
Pinnacle, one of the largest U.S. regionals, acquired Colgan in January, 2007, at a time when it was unwinding a long-term relationship with Northwest Airlines Corp., then under bankruptcy protection. Colgan also operates services for the United Express unit of UAL Corp. (UAL), the parent of United Airlines, and for US Airways Inc. (LCC).
Memphis-based Pinnacle, which employs 6,000 people, recently signed a new 10- year deal to operate services for Continental through its Colgan unit.
The deal envisioned Colgan doubling its Q400 aircraft fleet to 30, with deliveries starting next year.
Q400 Turboprop A Winner For Bombardier
While turboprop aircraft lost ground to a new breed of regional jets during the 1990s - partly because of negative passenger perceptions - the segment has made a comeback as fuel prices rose and jets became inefficient on shorter routes.
Bombardier has received nearly 1,000 firm orders for the Q-series aircraft, including 347 for the Q400.
There are more than 100 customers worldwide for the Q400, Bombardier said, including several U.S. airlines. Horizon Air, a unit of Alaska Air Group Inc. ( ALK), plans over time to switch to an all-Q400 fleet. It recently said it would defer some aircraft deliveries due to the weak economy. That was the first deferral for the Q400, according to Bombardier. Porter Airlines, a commuter airline in Canada, already flies a Q400-only fleet.
The Q400 was involved in some previous, less serious, crashes in Japan and Scandinavia several years ago, related to problems with the landing gear.
The insurer for the Colgan aircraft was United States Aircraft Insurance Group, a pool comprised of U.S. property/casualty and reinsurance companies that issue aviation insurance policies, according to a report by the Insurance Insider, an industry newsletter.
The turboprops are a key part of Continental's network from Newark Liberty International Airport, viewed as the airline's prize asset for its significant market share in New York and New Jersey, connecting with international flights.
Continental uses Colgan and the Q400 to feed passengers from smaller airports in the tri-state region. Continental shares recently traded up less than 1%, at $13.20.
-By Doug Cameron, Dow Jones Newswires; 312 750 4135
-Ann Keeton, Dow Jones; 312-750-4120; ann.keeton@dowjones.com
-Monica Gutshi and Lavonne Kuykendall contributed to this report.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-13-09 1332ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Beverly Eckert, a 9/11 widow and activist, among those killed in plane crash
Eckert, whose husband was in the World Trade Center on 9/11, was flying to Buffalo to launch a scholarship in his memory. She had met with President Obama last week to discuss anti-terror measures.
By Geraldine Baum and Michael Muskal
8:20 AM PST, February 13, 2009
Reporting from Los Angeles and New York -- Last week, Beverly Eckert was at the White House to talk with President Barack Obama about how the new administration could deal with those suspected of terrorism.
This morning, Eckert -- the widow of a man who died in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center -- was among the 50 people killed when a commuter plane crashed outside Buffalo, N.Y.
"Beverly was gentle, loving and fragile," said Christy Ferer, another 9/11 widow who knew Eckert. "She was still in pain from her 9/11 loss and consequently pulled back a bit from her 9/11 activities. She was loved and respected by so many."
Eckert's husband, Sean worked at Aon Corp., a risk management firm, on the 98th floor of the World Trade Center's south tower. She often cried when she told how Sean, her high school sweetheart, telephoned her on the morning of the attacks, said he loved her. A loud explosion then silence ended the call.
She was on Continental Connection Flight 3407 to Buffalo to mark her husband's 58th birthday and to launch a scholarship in his memory, President Obama said this morning.
"Tragic events such as these remind us of the fragility of life and the value of every single day," Obama said in televised remarks to the Business Council.
"One person who understood that well was Beverly Eckert, who was on that flight and who I met with just a few days ago. You see, Beverly lost her husband on 9/11 and became a tireless advocate for those families whose lives were forever changed on that September day.
"I pray that her family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead," the president said.
Eckert was among the group of relatives of those who died in the terror attacks who worked to make Congress more responsive to the threat from terrorism. The group's work helped push the 2004 reform of the U.S. intelligence system.
When it was over and they'd won passage of the intelligence reform law, Eckert said she would end her high-profile role to return to a quieter life.
"I did all of this for Sean's memory, I did it for him," she said. "I just wanted Sean to come home from work. Maybe now, someone else's Sean will get to come home."
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By Geraldine Baum and Michael Muskal
8:20 AM PST, February 13, 2009
Reporting from Los Angeles and New York -- Last week, Beverly Eckert was at the White House to talk with President Barack Obama about how the new administration could deal with those suspected of terrorism.
This morning, Eckert -- the widow of a man who died in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center -- was among the 50 people killed when a commuter plane crashed outside Buffalo, N.Y.
"Beverly was gentle, loving and fragile," said Christy Ferer, another 9/11 widow who knew Eckert. "She was still in pain from her 9/11 loss and consequently pulled back a bit from her 9/11 activities. She was loved and respected by so many."
Eckert's husband, Sean worked at Aon Corp., a risk management firm, on the 98th floor of the World Trade Center's south tower. She often cried when she told how Sean, her high school sweetheart, telephoned her on the morning of the attacks, said he loved her. A loud explosion then silence ended the call.
She was on Continental Connection Flight 3407 to Buffalo to mark her husband's 58th birthday and to launch a scholarship in his memory, President Obama said this morning.
"Tragic events such as these remind us of the fragility of life and the value of every single day," Obama said in televised remarks to the Business Council.
"One person who understood that well was Beverly Eckert, who was on that flight and who I met with just a few days ago. You see, Beverly lost her husband on 9/11 and became a tireless advocate for those families whose lives were forever changed on that September day.
"I pray that her family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead," the president said.
Eckert was among the group of relatives of those who died in the terror attacks who worked to make Congress more responsive to the threat from terrorism. The group's work helped push the 2004 reform of the U.S. intelligence system.
When it was over and they'd won passage of the intelligence reform law, Eckert said she would end her high-profile role to return to a quieter life.
"I did all of this for Sean's memory, I did it for him," she said. "I just wanted Sean to come home from work. Maybe now, someone else's Sean will get to come home."
LInks:
Container Company / Milion poker / Online poker / Container second hand / Alaska Container / Utilaje constructii /
Container home gallery / Alaska Pictures Gallery / Cum sa faci bani online de la Google / Serviciul de Informatii in Constructii / Producator containere si paturi metalice
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