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Plane crashes in U.S. New York state, 49 dead

Published: 12/02/2009 05:00

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The crew aboard the ill-fated commuter plane had reported mechanical problems shortly before it crashed in the U.S. state of New York, killing all 48 people aboard and one person on the ground on Thursday evening, media reports said.

A WGRZ-TV grab shows firefighters on the scene after a commercial plane crashed into a house on in Clarence, New York, a few miles from the airport in Buffalo. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The Buffalo News quoted Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority spokesman C. Douglas Hartmayer as saying that crewmembers aboard the flight had reported mechanical problems as the plane approached Buffalo.

“I was told by the tower the plane simply dropped off the radar screen,” Hartmayer told The Buffalo News.

It was reported that the plane was flying in light snow and fog, and the wind speed was 27 kph.

The black box flight recorders of the plane had not been found yet, the reports said.

In Washington, an official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said there was no indication that terrorism was involved in the crash.

The 50-seat commuter plane, Continental Airlines Flight 3407, was flying from Newark to Buffalo when it crashed into a house in Clarence Center.

State police spokeswoman Rebecca Gibbons said the plane was carrying 48 people and “there were no survivors,” local media reported.

One person on the ground was also killed, local officials said.

The crash occurred at around 10:20 p.m. Thursday (0320 GMT Friday) in suburban Buffalo in northern New York state, nearly a seven-hour drive from New York City.

The officials said there were 48 people on board, including 44 passengers and 4 crewmembers, as was confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In the latest update of the online report, a nurse at Erie County Medical Center said the hospital’s second shift had been told to stay late to treat survivors but was sent home before midnight.

“There were no souls to bring in and treat,” she was quoted as saying.

TV footage showed that a massive fire broke out at the scene of the crash, while firemen and police rushed to the scene.

The plane was still burning, and two people who were not on the plane were taken to hospital, CNN reported.

Local officials said at the news briefing that the crash scene was still “very hot” and the firefighters were trying to keep damage to the minimum. There had been no reports of firefighters suffering injuries, they said.

Twelve nearby homes had been evacuated, they added.

The crash is reportedly America’s deadliest since a Comair commuter jet crashed in Lexington, Kentucky on Aug. 27, 2006, also killing 49 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board in Washington has announced that it will send a team to Buffalo on Friday morning to probe the crash.

New York Governor David A. Paterson issued a statement early Friday hours after the accident.

“As we continue to monitor the situation in the Town of Clarence, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were on board, and with the people of the Buffalo metropolitan area,” he said in the statement.

“We will work closely with law enforcement and aviation officials to give families, loved ones and the public updated information as it becomes available,” the statement said.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

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Plane crashes in U.S. New York state, 49 dead - International - News |  vietnam travel company

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