PBS Frontlines Documentary on the Crash of Flight 3407 a Must See
PBS Frontline’s Documentary investigates the crash of the Colgan Air Dash 8-Q400 flight number 3407.
Reporter Miles O’Brien is a pilot and 20 year veteran of reporting on aviation issues. He gives this story the time and depth it deserves, covering an issue that has long been brewing about the regional airlines hiring and training practices, as well as their dismal pay scales, all driven by the demand to offer seats at the lowest possible price.
No one in the airline industry or the private aviation side of air travel sets out at the beginning of each day making decisions that they believe will lead to a fatal crash of one of their aircraft. So how does it happen, and what part can the NTSB, FAA, DOT and the industry play in doing everything possible to prevent it from happening again?
When is the consumer educated to the point they realize that the airlines cannot deliver increased safety at lower costs? Safety costs money!
This story is worth an hour of your time to gain a better understanding of the issues our air transportation system faces with the economics of safety.
In a world where mainstream media sensationalizes everything and looks for the one minute stories to feed us in sound bites, the guys who have produced this have created a story that will, or at least should, make a difference.
I am thinking engine problems could have doomed this plane–
NTSB Dockets, File 431227–witness statements
pg2 of 131
Vicki Braun
plane engine had ”echo sound” then sounded like the engine stopped then heard a ”boom”
pg2 of 131
Hank Cole
plane didn’t sound right, engine sounded like it was ”revving” then cut out and then he heard a bang.
pg 4 of 131 Maha Abdallah
Before the plane impacted the ground, Abdallah noticed sparks coming from the plane.
pg6 of 131
Shannon Alessandra
Just prior to the airplane crashing, the engines made a ”weird sound.”
pg7 of 131
Jean Andreassen
Andreassen stated that she heard strange noises from the engines
pg8 of 131
Kristen and Aaron Archambeault
They both described the engine noise as ‘’sputtering”
pg9 of 131
Stanley Barnas
…he saw a bright orange flash out of the living room window. … After the flash they heard a loud crash. Barnas is 100percent certain the saw the bright orange flash before the crash.
pg11 of 131
Michele Beiter
Michele stated the noise, ’skipped’ and and she was releived it stopped, and then it started again. Michel is positive there was a skip. Michele further described everthing she heard as, ‘Noise, skip, noise, loud noise.’
pg13 of 131
Robert Bijak
The engines sounded like a metallic rattle and remined Bijak of a car engine with no oil in it.
pg14 of 131
Tin Bojarski
The plane did not sound right and sort of sounded like a car with a broken muffler.
pg17 of 131
Ronald Braunscheidel
…he heard a very loud spitting and sputtering sound of a plane engine flying overhead. Braunscheidel described the noise as a car without a muffler.
pg 18 of 131
Sharon Brennan
Brennan believed the plane was… maybe in trouble based on the noise.
pg22 of 131
Patricia Burns
Burns was able to see most of the left side of the airplane and noticed flames coming from the rear of the aircraft.
pg28 of 131
Dan Cizdziel
…heard a sputtering, binging noise to the north….
pg34 of 131
Andrew Dibiase
The rear of the plane appeared to be red, Dibiase could not confirm, but he thought it was on fire.
pg35 of 131
Peter Dibiase
The plane appeared red in color towards the tail of the plane. Dibiase further explained that a bright red glow was reflected off of the yard.
pg42 of 131
Doug Errick
Errick indicated that as the plane got closer the engines became very rough. Errick thought the engines were coming on and off, almost like engines were trying to come back on, but couldn’t remain running. Errick thought the engines were changing RPMs rapidly.
pg49 of 131
Mary Grefrath
Grefrath recalled that the engine sounded like it was spuddering.
pg65 of 131
Dawn Lao
Lao said the engine noise did not sound right… Lao also saw ‘flashes of white light under the wings of the plane….’
pg66 of 131
Jean Larocque
Larocque… stated he heard puttering plane… Larocque reported that the engines were not making a uniform sound.
pg 77 of 131
Molly Merlo
…she heard the airplane make a ”gurgling” sound.
pg81 of 131
Marianne Neri
The engine noise did not sound like a normal plane, but more like a helicopter. It was obvious something was wrong with the engines.
pg85 of 131
Angela Pillo
The sound was very loud and ”rough,” as if the engine was having trouble. The sound was further described as sounding like a ”lawn mower”
pg91 of 131
Lisa Rott
….she heard a consistent low grumbling sound that she believed to be a propeller plane. Rott advised that the sound the plane’s engines was not smooth and did not sound like other propeller planes that she has heard in the past.
pg96 of 131
Kenneth Smith
…heard a big bag then continued to hear the sound of airplane engines.
pg89 of 131
Joseph Summers
…heard a plane which was very low and didn’t sound normal. Mr. Summers cited a ”rambling noise” which sounded as if an engine was not running properly.
pg101 of 131
Rick Telfair
Telfair stated he then heard a winding or grinding noise, then a screeching or grinding noise and approximately 20-30 seconds later heard a large boom… Telfair further described the noise of the engine as fighting, almost as though they were trying to go faster but couldn’t, not accelerating but distressed.
pg 102 of 131
Denise Trabucco
Trabucco described the sound as a humming, similar to a transformer prior to it blowing. Aafter the humming, Trabucco heard a popping sound. … About a minute after the humming and popping sound, Trabucco and her family felt a vibration that felt a little like an earthquake.
pg105 of 131
Lorraine Unverzart
The airplane engines made a ”chugging” sound, similar to a ‘’spark plug misfiring.”
pg106 of 131
Louis Vitello
…he heard the plane engines sputtering as it approached, and then heard a ”poppomg sound.” Immediately after that Mr. Vitello heard ”grinding” noised, stating that the noises reminded him of gears grinding together, sounding like the gears were missing teeth.
pg124 of 131
David Wolf
…the engines were making an unusual ‘’shuttering” sound
pg126 of 131
Melissa Wols
She stated she heard the plane…. grinding and sputtering as it approached and passed over his residence. Wols advised it sounded similar to what grinding metal would sound like.
pg129 of 131
Rita Zirnheld
It ‘’sounded like sputtering” and ”engine was coughing.”
pg130 of 131
Barbara Garret
She said the plane engine was making loud noises, as though metal was banging and clattering.
That’s an awful lot of people talking about noises that those engines don’t normally make. The number of witnesses would make and engine problem seem possible; however, the boxes record every single thing happening in that aircraft, don’t they? If Colgan could shift blame onto somebody else – anybody else – wouldn’t they be all over that?