Icing eyed in Colgan Q400 crash | Aviation International News

Icing eyed in Colgan Q400 crash

The crew of the Colgan Air Q400 that crashed outside Buffalo on February 12 observed “significant” ice accretion on the aircraft’s windows and wings before

By Gregory Polek • Senior Editor

February 27, 2009

The crew of the Colgan Air Q400 that crashed outside Buffalo on February 12 observed “significant” ice accretion on the aircraft’s windows and wings before the eventual upset that killed all 49 on board and one person on the ground, according to the NTSB’s lead investigator for the accident, Steven Chealander.

The flight data recorder indicates that the airplane’s autopilot did not disengage until the stick shaker activated, and airmets for the Buffalo area indicated no worse than moderate icing. In fact, according to Chealander, only 27 minutes after the accident another Colgan Q400 flew to Buffalo from Newark on virtually the same flight path.

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