Today, February 12 2026, marks the 17th anniversary of the tragic crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407, which occurred on this day in 2009 while approaching Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York.

The aircraft, a Bombardier Q400, plummeted into a house in Clarence Center, New York, claiming the lives of all 49 passengers and crew members on board, as well as one individual in the house it struck five miles from the airport.

Following an inquiry by the National Transportation Safety Board, a transcript detailing the aircraft’s final moments was made public.

In the transcript, Captain Marvin Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw can be heard discussing various issues, including the condition of the aircraft. The pair are heard conversing about the significant ice accumulation on the wings as they descended from 6,000 to 4,000 feet.

Moments later, the twin-engine turboprop aircraft suffered an aerodynamic stall and began a descent from which it would never recover. Tragedy struck at 10:16pm, shortly after the pair lowered the landing gear and adjusted the flaps on the plane’s wings, when Shaw uttered: “Uhhh.”

A warning alerting the pilots to the impending stall can be heard. This is followed by a horn sound lasting for 6.7 seconds, signalling that the autopilot had been disconnected, and then the sound of engine power being increased.

At 10:16.34.8pm Renslow says: “Jesus Christ”, before Shaw confirms she put the flaps up and asks if she should put the landing gear up as well.

Then, as the noise increases, Renslow replies: “We’re down.” The final entry in the transcript is Shaw, who said: “We.”

This was followed by the sound of a scream and the end of the transcript at 10:16.52pm, reports 4Washington.

In the moments leading up to the fatal crash, the pair could be heard discussing matters including the amount of ice on the wings. Shaw remarked: “It’s lots of ice.”

In response, Renslow said: “Oh yeah that’s the most I’ve seen, most ice I’ve seen on the leading edges in a long time, in a while anyway I should say.”

Following the crash, the National Transport Safety Board launched an investigation into Renslow’s training on board the Bombardier aircraft, with one training instructor saying he had been “slow learning” but “picked up at the end”.

Meanwhile, another airman who had flown with Renslow just a few months earlier had said that whilst he was still learning the systems on board the aircraft, he had good skills as a pilot and his learning process was part of normal progression.

The investigation also examined fatigue, as it was later reported that Renslow had appeared at the Newark airport at 9:18pm the day prior to the crash. In a statement published on their website regarding the incident, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) announced it would implement changes to training and fatigue evaluations.

They said: “After the Colgan accident, employers are required to submit pilot training records that provide better tracking of pilot proficiency and identify pilot failures across air carriers.

“Prior to the Colgan accident, there were less stringent rest requirements stipulated for crews regarding types of operations, crew duty day, flight duty period, and crew rest for both reserve and on-duty pilots.

“After the accident, the FAA instituted scientifically based hours-of-service regulations that considered circadian rhythms and human sleep and rest requirements.”