The final words of the pilot of Colgan Air Flight 3407, which crashed in 2009 killing all 49 on board and one person on the ground, have been revealed in a cockpit voice recorder transcript. Captain Marvin Renslow exclaimed "Jesus Christ" moments before the crash, followed by a scream from First Officer Rebecca Shaw.
The transcript, released by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows that the crew discussed ice accumulation on the wings less than seven minutes before the crash. First Officer Shaw noted "it's lots of ice," to which Captain Renslow replied it was the most ice he had seen in a while.
Shaw expressed concern about her lack of experience in icing conditions, saying she would have "freaked out." Renslow reassured her, stating he would have been fine. As the aircraft approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the crew deployed landing gear and flaps, and a stick shaker warning sounded, indicating an aerodynamic stall.
Seconds later, Renslow exclaimed "Jesus Christ," and Shaw reported raising flaps and asked about retracting the landing gear. Renslow replied "Gear up, oh (expletive)." He then declared "We're down," followed by a thump and Shaw's scream before the recording ended.
Investigators found that Renslow had not received training on the aircraft's stick-pusher mechanism, which automatically pushes the nose down during a stall. During the descent, Renslow pulled back on the controls, contrary to correct stall recovery procedures, leading to the crash.
