Flight 3407 Questions
Eldon Warman
Update: The Audio Reveals - "Ice not a Factor"
rob balsamo
According to the ATC audio, winds were not a factor. Wind reports were within 10-20 degrees of runway (IIRC) and around 14 knots.
Also according to the same audio, it appears ice was also not a factor. Aircraft reported 1/4" Rime ice on the descent (according to Delta 1998) and were shedding the ice once level at intercept altitude (altitude to intercept the glideslope of the ILS, air was obviously warmer there and ice was shedding off the airframe) according to Cactus 1452.
The Q400 is well equipped to handle flight into known icing conditions. The aircraft is equipped with de-ice boots (inflatable rubber "boots" on leading edges which cracks off the ice) and other de-ice/anti-ice features (windshield heat, .etc). Reading other boards and those who fly the Q400, the Q400 has two automatic modes for ice removal (you can see them on the overhead Ice Panel). A slow mode and fast mode. Slow mode cycles the boots (inflates the boots/cracks off the ice), once every 3 minutes. Fast mode inflates once every minute.
If ice were a factor, the ice would have had to accumulate to "dangerous levels" in less than 3 minutes prior to flap selection if the pilots had slow mode selected. Since this was an approach, and there was obvious ice, fast mode was probably selected (need more info here from FDR/Airline policy). Which means ice would have had to accumulate to danger levels in less than a minute. However, other aircraft on the approach do not report severe icing of any kind during the same time of the approach, flying in the same air and same altitudes. ...
http://pilotsfor911truth.org/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t16320.html
...
Flight 3407 rocked like roller coaster before fall
By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Seats are upright. Belts are buckled. Trays are up. Flight 3407 is beginning its descent to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. And then something suddenly goes terribly wrong.
The 44 passengers are lifted from their seats - like on a roller coaster - very abruptly and repeatedly. Simultaneously, they are forcefully jostled from side to side.
But the severe pitches and rolls that jerked the plane's nose down, up and then down again from 31 degrees to 45 degrees while rolling violently from side to side, once as much as 105 degrees and almost onto the plane's back - would have ended within 20 seconds when the plane hit the ground. ...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iM22gPEJKPaugd-ZrM-JMJt8hC7QD96CU7681
Posted by Alex Constantine at 7:11 PM