New York
13 February 2009
 |
| Firefighters look over the wreckage of Continental flight 3407 in suburban Buffalo neighborhood, 13 Feb 2009 |
The wreckage of Continental Airlines flight 3407 lay smoldering Friday morning in the small town of Clarence Center; only the aircraft's tail remained recognizable.
The plane came down about nine kilometers from Buffalo Niagara International Airport where it was due to land shortly after 10:00 p.m. Thursday evening.
County Executive Chris Collins told a news conference that the plane struck a house in the residential community, nearly destroying it and killing at least one resident.
"We do know that there were 48 on the plane - 44 passengers and four crew. Unfortunately, there was a town resident in one home that perished," he said. "Two individuals were able to escape that home incurring minor injuries."
Collins said first responders immediately evacuated residents from about a dozen other nearby homes.
Federal, state and local authorities are converging on the scene to
begin their investigation. Officials said it is too early to determine
the cause of the crash.
| President reacts to crash |
| "Michelle and I are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic accident outside of Buffalo last night. Our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones. I want to thank the brave first responders who arrived immediately to try and save lives and who are continuing to ensure the safety of everyone in the area. We pray for all those who have been touched by this terrible tragedy to find peace and comfort in the hard days ahead," said President Obama |
The cockpit black box recorder, which often provides clues to such crashes, has not yet been recovered because the crash site is still too hot from the fuel fire that erupted.
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