NEW YORK, Feb 13: A commuter plane dropped out of the sky without warning and nose-dived into a suburban Buffalo house in a fiery crash that killed all 49 people aboard and one person in the home.

The cause of the disaster was under investigation, but other pilots were overheard complaining around the same time of ice building up on their wings — a hazard that has caused major crashes in the past.

The twin turboprop aircraft — Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, New Jersey — was coming in for a landing when it went down in light snow and fog at about 10.20pm on Thursday around eight kilometres short of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Witnesses heard the plane sputtering before it plunged squarely through the roof of the house, its tail section visible through flames shooting at least 50 feet high.

“The whole sky was lit up orange,” said Bob Dworak, who lives about a kilometre away. “All of a sudden, there was a big bang, and the house shook.”

Two others in the house escaped with minor injuries. The plane was carrying a four-member crew and an off-duty pilot. Among the 44 passengers killed was a woman whose husband died in the World Trade Centre attack of Sept 11, 2001.

Federal investigators searched through the wreckage for the black box recorders that could shed light on what went wrong, but they said the smouldering debris was still too hot to look for bodies.

No mayday call came from the pilot before the crash, according to a recording of air traffic control’s radio messages captured by the website LiveATC.net.

Erie County Emergency Coordinator David Bissonette said it appeared the plane “dove directly on top of the house”.“It was a direct hit,” Mr Bissonette said. “It’s remarkable that it only took one house. As devastating as that is, it could have wiped out the entire neighbourhood.”—AP

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.