Newly released cockpit voice recorder transcripts have revealed the final, haunting words of the pilot of Colgan Air Flight 3407, which crashed in 2009, killing all 49 on board and one person on the ground. Captain Marvin Renslow exclaimed 'Jesus Christ' just seconds before the aircraft plummeted into a house in Buffalo, New York, followed by a terrified scream from First Officer Rebecca Shaw.
The National Transportation Safety Board transcript shows that in the minutes before the crash, the crew discussed concerns about ice accumulation on the wings. Shaw remarked, 'it's lots of ice,' to which Renslow replied, 'Oh yeah that's the most I've seen, most ice I've seen on the leading edges in a long time.' Shaw expressed anxiety about her lack of experience with icing conditions, saying she 'would've freaked out.'
As the plane approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport on February 12, 2009, the Dash 8-Q400 entered an aerodynamic stall. The cockpit recording captured the stick shaker warning for 6.7 seconds before the autopilot disengaged. At 10:16.34 pm, Renslow shouted 'Jesus Christ,' and Shaw reported raising the flaps. Renslow then ordered 'Gear up, oh (expletive),' followed by 'We're down.' A thump and Shaw's scream ended the recording at 10:16.52 pm.
The NTSB also revealed that Renslow's training had not included a simulation of the stick-pusher mechanism, which automatically pushes the nose down during a stall. During the flight, Renslow pulled back on the controls, contrary to proper stall recovery procedures. Colgan Air acknowledged the training gap, and the crash led to significant changes in pilot training and fatigue regulations.
