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U S Plane 'Crashed Flat on House' (with video)

A plane that crashed onto a house in New York state, killing 50 people, fell flat rather than diving as initially thought, investigators have said.

The Continental Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 was also pointing away from the airport it was meant to land at, investigator Steve Chealander said.

Analysis of the plane's data recorders shows the crew noticed significant ice build-up on its wings before the crash.

The flight was approaching Buffalo's airport when it crashed on Thursday.

Snow and ice

Mr Chealander, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said the flight was cleared to land on a runway pointing to the south-west, but the plane was pointing to the north-east when it crashed.

He said the plane landed flat on the house in Clarence Center, a suburb of Buffalo.

"There's an airplane that fell on top of a house and they're now intermingled and the house and the airplane are together," he told a news conference.

"The medical examiner believes that three to four days are going to be required to recover the victims of this crash," he said.

The dead include 44 passengers, four crew and one off-duty pilot on board, and one person on the ground.

About 100-150 people were working on the crash site, Mr Chealander added.

The twin-prop Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft, operated by Colgan Air for Continental Airlines, was flying from Newark airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

The pilots did not tell air traffic controllers of any problems during the flight, and a recording of communications appears normal until shortly before the crash.

At that point, the crew are heard discussing snowy and misty conditions and asking for permission to descend.

The crew then discussed "significant ice build-up" on the windshield and leading edge of the aircraft's wings, Mr Chealander said on Friday.

The plane's de-icing system had been switched on before the crew talked about the ice, he said.

Analysis of the data recorders shows the plane made a series of severe pitches and rolls seconds before plunging into the house.

The house's owner, Douglas C Wielinski, is believed to have died in the crash, but his wife Karen, 57, and daughter Jill, 22, managed to escape and were taken to hospital with minor injuries.