By John Le Fevre

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today released a damming report into the fatal crash last February of Colgan Air Flight 3407 outside of Buffalo, NY.

All 49 people on board the flight and one person on the ground were killed when the pilot, Captain Marvin Renslow, performed the incorrect procedure to prevent the aircraft plummeting into the ground after a stall warning alarm sounded.

Lorenda Ward from the NTSB said, “the aircraft pitched down and entered a steep descent from which the aircraft did not recover”.

Information from the flight data recorders show that when the stall warning sounded the planes onboard computer pushed the nose of the aircraft down, but Captain Renslow pulled it back up – the exact wrong thing to do in the situation.

According to the NTSB Captain Renslow had previously failed five safety competency tests, while colleges claim he had never been trained to handle the icy conditions and subsequent stall Colgan Flight 3407 encountered while landing.

Additionally the NTSB said the pilot and co-pilot were making small-talk about their careers and fear of flying in icy conditions while performing their approach check-list.

Additionally the co-pilot had flown a red-eye flight from Washington state prior to commencing the ill-fated flight to NY and is heard on the cockpit voice recorder complaining of a head cold and congestion.