Investigation into Buffalo crash focusing on ice

Ice is the focus of the investigation into last week’s Continental Airlines crash in Buffalo, which killed 50 people.

According to reports in the US media, accident investigators are concentrating on the possibility that wing ice may have been responsible for bringing down flight 3407 on route from Newark.

The pilot of the doomed plane is believed to have reported “significant” ice on the aircraft’s wings and windshield just before it crashed into a house.

The aircraft is reported to have been on auto-pilot just before it crashed.

All 49 passengers and crew, and a man inside the house, were killed, but his wife and daughter escaped with only minor injuries.

Local weather reports said there was light snow and fog at the time.

By Bev Fearis