Washington, DCOn the eve of a hearing to be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), sources close to the hearings have revealed that a plane crash that killed 50 people in February may have been partially caused by an inexperienced and improperly trained pilot.
The Wall Street Journal reveals that according to sources, the pilot of Continental Commuter Flight 3407 failed several flight tests and was not properly trained in emergency procedures.
The doomed plane was on approach to Buffalo International Airport on the night of February 12th 2009 when the plane's autopilot engaged the stick-shaker, warning of an imminent stall. It is alleged that when this happened the pilot, Marvin Renslow, initiated a response that was opposite what would have normally been expected in an effort to save the Bombardier turboprop aircraft from a fatal stall.
A stall is what happens when a plane's airspeed drops to a level where there is insufficient lift for the wings. Various aircraft designs call for different responses according to the dynamics and design of the individual aircraft. Renslow, it was reported earlier, had not been flying that type of plane very long when he was tested the night of February 12tth.
Instead of moving the stick forward, which would have increased airspeed and provided more lift for the plane, it is believed that Renslow yanked the stick back—which would have brought the nose of the plane up. Even gunning the engines as he is alleged to have done, would not have been enough to increase airspeed and generate lift at that angle.
The Bombardier Q400 turboprop soon dropped like a rock from the sky and plunged into a house in a small community near Buffalo. Witnesses have said that given the debris field, the plane had almost zero forward motion when it dropped onto the house.
The plane crash killed all 49 occupants on the plane, as well as an occupant in the home.
Flight 3407 was a Continental Commuter flight operated by Colgan Air Inc., a company based in Manassas, Virginia that operates nearly 50 planes carrying 2.5 million passengers a year. The company employs about 480 pilots, according to a report appearing this morning in the Wall Street Journal. Colgan Air is a division of Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
Pinnacle has said its pilot training programs "meet or exceed regulatory requirements for all major airlines" and crews, "are prepared to handle emergency situations they might face."
However on the eve of the NTSB hearings that start tomorrow, it has been revealed that the pilot flunked numerous tests and not only appeared to have a hard time achieving a satisfactory rating, he also appears to have ammased a fairly low portfolio of experience flying the type of aircraft in which he served as Captain, when compared with industry standards.
The Captain
Marvin Renslow was 47 when he died. It has been reported that he joined Colgan in September 2005 after graduating from a pilot-training academy. Prior to joining Colgan, Renslow is said to have failed 3 proficiency tests for general aviation aircraft administered by the FAA. Spokespeople with Colgan accuse the late pilot of failing to fully disclose his poor performance scores when initially applying for a position with Colfgan.
At Colgan Renslow is said to have failed in his initial attempt to qualify as a co-pilot on the Beech 1900. In a subsequent attempt to upgrade to captain on the Saab 340 turboprop, Renslow had to re-do his check ride.
The pilot's last unsatisfactory ride check occurred 16 months prior to the crash of Flight 3407. Since his last failure Renslow had completed 3 regular training sessions and had passed six consecutive competency tests.
However, several aviation officials are said to have indicated that such a checkered record with regard to testing and training suggests he would not have lasted long with a large carrier. Not only was he elevated to pilot at Colgan, he also had about 109 hours of experience flying the Q400, which is said to be low according to industry standards. He had been flying the Q400 only for about two months, before the crash occurred.
At the NTSB hearings, which begin tomorrow, it is expected that testimony will focus on things such as pilot training, pilot fatigue and decorum in the cockpit. There are specific protocols with regard to cockpit behavior once a plane falls below 10,000 feet. Sources close to the investigation have said that judging from the cockpit voice recorder, there was some idle chatter going on when there should not have been. Even though the plane was on autopilot as it approached Buffalo, the crew apparently did not notice the airspeed dropping dangerously close to that at which a stall is a risk, below 115 miles per hour.
It was reported that Renslow was flying after a day off, but coming after weeks of late-evening and early-morning flying schedules, with only a few hours of rest in between.
It has also been reported that while Colgan provided ample classroom time with regard to the operation and dynamics of the stick-shaker and stick-pusher anti-stall systems, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not require pilots to undergo hands-on stick-shaker training in a simulator.
Colgan's top two training officers have resigned in recent weeks. Reports suggest that the resignations had nothing to do with the crash of Flight 3407. One of the training officers and the company's former director of training, Darrell Mitchell, is scheduled to testify at tomorrow's hearing.
Initial speculation was that icing played a factor in the crash. However, the plane's anti-icing systems were functioning properly. The Bombardier Q9400 is said to be a workhorse, performing quite well in winter and adverse weather.