By WBFO News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-836999.mp3
Washington, DC – The pilot of Continental Connection Flight 3407 uttered "Jesus Christ" seconds before the plane crashed in Clarence on February 12th. The last sound from the cockpit was the first officer screaming.
A cockpit voice recorder transcript released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board show that only minutes before the crash, on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Captain Marvin Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw chatted about her career and shared their fear of flying in icy weather. Federal regulations require a "sterile cockpit" when planes descend below 10,000 feet. Any extraneous conversation is prohibited.
Here is the transcript of the final moments. HOT-1 is the pilot. HOT-2 is the first officer.
22:16:23.5 HOT-1 flaps fifteen before landing checklist.
22:16:26.0 CAM [sound similar to flap handle movement]
22:16:26.6 HOT-2 uhhh.
22:16:27.4 CAM [sound similar to stick shaker lasting 6.7 seconds]
22:16:27.7 HOT [sound similar to autopilot disconnect horn repeats until end of recording]
CAM [sound of click]
22:16:31.1 CAM [sound similar to increase in engine power]
22:16:34.8 HOT-1 Jesus Christ.
22:16:35.4 CAM [sound similar to stick shaker lasting until end of recording]
22:16:37.1 HOT-2 I put the flaps up.
22:16:40.2 CAM [sound of two clicks]
22:16:42.2 HOT-1 [sound of grunt] *ther bear.
22:16:45.8 HOT-2 should the gear up?
22:16:46.8 HOT-1 gear up oh #.
22:16:50.1 CAM [increase in ambient noise]
22:16:51.9 HOT-1 we're down.
22:16:51.9 CAM [sound of thump]
22:16:52.0 HOT-2 we're [sound of scream]
22:16:53.9 END OF TRANSCRIPT END OF RECORDING
The Dash 8-Q400 Bombardier, a twin-engine turboprop experienced an aerodynamic stall and plunged into a house, killing all 49 people aboard and one man on the ground.
Meanwhile, safety investigators were told Renslow had trouble learning a critical computer system of the plane he was flying.
NTSB records also released Tuesday say investigators were told by one training instructor that Renslow "was slow learning" the Dash 8-Q400 Bombardier, a twin-engine turboprop. But it said that pilot's abilities "picked up at the end."
The training instructor said Renslow struggled to learn the Dash 8's flight management system, a critical computer.
The NTSB hearing into the crash of Flight 3407 is underway in Washington. The hearing is being streamed at the Millennium Hotel in Cheektowaga where family members and emergency responders have gathered to view the live video.
Click the audio player above to hear a report on Tuesday's hearing from Washington reporter Matt Laslo and WBFO's Eileen Buckley's story from the Millennium Hotel, where she watched a video feed of the hearing with victims' families.
Here's a link to the National Transportation Safety Board, where you can watch a video stream of the hearings and download the various documents: NTSB.