• 28
  • November
    2011

Emails relating to a 2009 plane crash that killed 50 people when it smashed into a New York home have surfaced and are revealing some interesting information about the possible cause of the crash-pilot error.

Almost three years ago, a flight that took off from Newark, N.J and set to land in Buffalo, N.J. took an unfortunate detour when it crashed into a residential home in the city of Clarence, New York. The plane allegedly went into an aerodynamic stall before falling. Everyone on board, along with a bystander on the ground, perished. The families of the deceased have since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pinnacle Airlines, the parent company of Colgan Air.

Newly surfaced evidence, however, could be potentially damaging to the defendants. Email correspondence between Colgan Air managers show that Capt. Marvin Renslow, the pilot of the crash, failed to earn the promotion needed to pilot a Q400-the type of plane that crashed. The emails were sent six months before the crash.

The families told the Associated Press that "Colgan put profits ahead of safety by choosing to promote Renslow to a larger, more complex plane even though they knew he wasn't ready."

Unfortunately, safety is all too often put behind profits and result in an unnecessary loss of life. Kevin Kuwik, a college basketball coach who lost his girlfriend in the crash, seemingly agrees. "This is a shining example once again that this was a very avoidable and preventable accident," he told the AP.

The cases are currently pending before the U.S. District Court in Buffalo. The AP indicates that the wrongful death lawsuits not settled out of court will proceed to trial in March 2012.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iDNqhPjcvvQGvkmppNDLsj4HVuBw?docId=1a3658b41ca84a098bb381ae3f02bdf9