Firm News

Carriers Other Than Contential Had Stoped Using Prop Planes in Cold Weather - Flight 3407

Posted on Mar 11, 2009

Two other carriers stopped flights of turboprop planes in cold weather before the Continental Connection Flight 3407 crash in Buffalo.

Washington D.C. - Both American Eagle and Comair ceased using their turboprop in cold weather out of safety concerns. The two carriers had experienced deadly crashes similar to the on that claimed 50 lives outside of Buffalo on February 12, 2009.

Unlike their counterparts, Colgan Air, a commuter carrier for Continental Airlines chose to continue to fly turboprops from Newark to Buffalo. Jim Hall, the former head of the National Transportation Safety Board said that the lessons learned from these earlier crashes should have prevented the Colgan crash.

Hall indicated that this crash was more tragic than most because it was very foreseeable and likely preventable. In his opinion the airline had preferred their profits over that of the safety of the passengers. He furthermore placed blame on the aviation industry and the Federal aviation Administration for their failure to adequately address the know safety risks associated with icing.

In 1994 an Americian Eagle turboprop went down in icy conditions in Indiana. That flight was en route from Indianapolis to Chicago when the pilots lost control because of ice accumulation on the wings. The ATR 72-210 turboprop was not well equipped to handle icing and crashed in Roselawn, Indiana. After that the airline made the turboprops their Caribbean fleet.

On January 9, 1997 a Comair flight from Cincinnati to Detroit crashed nose first 18 miles short of the runway in Detroit. Twenty nine souls were lost in that tragedy. Thereafter Comair eliminated turbo props from their fleet and replaced them with Bombardier regional commuter jets.
Puneet Singla, Ph. D. an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University at Buffalo, stated that turboprop planes are more dangerous than jets in icy conditions. The wings of turboprop aircraft are far more likely to encounter icing problems.

There are two primary reasons for the increased danger. First, turboprops fly at a lower speed, making it easier for ice to accumulate. Second, turboprops fly at lower altitudes where icing is more likely to occur.

The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop aircraft involved in the crash was equipped with pneumatic deicing boots which is a technology invented in the 1930's. Heated wing technology used by jets is much more effective in controlling icing on wings.

Hall who headed the NTSB from 1994 through 2001 stated, "The FAA should ground all aircraft of this type until the NTSB investigation is completed and it is clear they can be operated safely."

The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop aircraft involved in the crash was owned by Pinnacle Airlines and operated by it's subsidiary Colgan Air.