49 People Including 9/11 Widow Beverly Eckert Killed In Buffalo Plane Crash (Photos)

Continental Airlines Flight 3407 crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York, on Thursday, killing all 48 people aboard and a person in the home, authorities said.  Beverly Eckert, a 9/11 widow was said to have been aboard the plane that crashed.  We’ve included a passenger and crew list for Flight 3407 below. Read more on the tragic Buffalo plane crash below.

Continental Connection Flight 3407, which was a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 74-seat turboprop, was on its way from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, NY when the plane crashed around 10:20 p.m. ET.

Relatives of Beverly Eckert, whose husband died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, say she was aboard the Buffalo, N.Y.-bound flight when it crashed in Clarence Center, N.Y.

Eckert was flying to Buffalo to honor what would have been her husband Sean Rooney’s 58th birthday. She was scheduled to present a Canisius High School student with a scholarship created in his name.

After the 9/11 attacks, Eckert became a passionate voice for all the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center.

At the White House today President Obama singled out Eckert after expressing condolences for all the victims. “She was an inspiration to me and so many others,” Obama said.

Flight 3407’s voice and cockpit data recorders have been located from the wreckage and were being taken to Washington, D.C., for analysis.

Firefighters are still working on extinguishing the huge blaze at the plane crash site.

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Four people were injured at the crash site, including a mother and daughter inside the house that was hit. Both had minor injuries and were treated and released from the hospital.

The Continental plane crew included pilot Capt. Marvin Renslow, first officer Rebecca Shaw and flight attendants Matilda Quintero and Donna Prisco. An off-duty pilot, Capt. Joseph Zuffoletto, was also aboard the plane.

From CNN:

CNN has listened to a tape of communications between air traffic control and the flight crew. The first officer was calm. The plane was cleared for approach. About two minutes later, the air traffic controller came back, his voice full of stress. Radar contact was lost.

The question goes out: Can other planes see anything? No one responds. The controller says they might have a plane down. The pilot’s last comment was “Colgan Flight 3407.” There were no sounds of distress.

Weather could have played a role in the crash with the mix of sleet and snow in the area. But other planes were arriving safely at Buffalo at that time.

Witness Tony Tatro was on his way home from the gym when the plane flew about 75 feet above him. The craft’s nose was lower than usual and and the left wing was tilted, he told CNN.

“The engines didn’t sound typical, didn’t sound normal,” he said.

The plane was loud as it came in, as if for a takeoff rather than for a landing, said David Luce, who lives 300 feet from the crash site.

“The engines sounded like they were revving at very high speed, an unnatural sound,” Luce said. “… Then the engine cut out — stopped. And within a couple of seconds, there was this tremendous explosion.

“It was an enormous explosion. It sounded like it hit frankly right in our backyard. … The house shook, the windows shook, the ground shook,” he said. “It was a real blast.”

Twelve people were evacuated from scene. Law enforcement officials are asking people not to go to the crash site in fear they may hinder the investigation.

“I felt the impact … sounded like a large explosion,” said Brendan Biddlecom, who told CNN he lives two blocks from where the plane crashed. Video Watch report from witness: “All I saw was flames” »

The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office established a command post at the scene and had investigators there, a statement from the office said. Officials said relatives of passengers aboard the flight should call 800-621-3263 for information.

Thursdays crash is the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the United States since August 2006 Comair Flight 5191.

Here is a partial list of the passengers and crew killed in Flight 3407 in Buffalo, NY:
Names of people killed in crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407. The names have been provided by airline officials, relatives or friends.

___

Crew members:

_ Capt. Marvin Renslow, pilot, of Lutz, Fla.

_ Rebecca Shaw, first officer

_ Matilda Quintero, flight attendent

_ Donna Prisco, flight attendent

_ Capt. Joseph Zuffoletto, off-duty crew member.

___

Passengers:

_ Beverly Eckert, of Stamford, Conn., whose husband died in the World Trade Center attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

_ Ellyce Kausner, student at Florida Coastal School of Law.

_ Maddy Loftus, of Parsippany, N.J. Was headed to Buffalo weekend reunion of women hockey players.

Our condolences to family members and friends of those that lost their lives in this tragic plane crash.

      

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