AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2014 - 79

knots faster than normal to compensate for extra weight and wing
contamination.
The VREF (reference landing
speed) programmed into the FMS
for the estimated landing weight of
the accident aircraft was 118 knots.
However, had the crew inserted
the word "icing" into the system,
20 knots would have been added to
the landing speed (at 15 degrees of
flaps) for a VREF of 138 knots. So the
aircraft anti-stall system was configured for icing, but the reference
airspeed bugs were configured for
an uncontaminated wing.
The airspeed indicator on the
left of the primary flight display
has a trend-vector tape to show
where airspeed will be in 10 seconds and a low-speed warning cue,
shown in red, that indicates when
the stick shaker will activate.
No preimpact malfunctions
were noted.
WEATHER

The terminal forecast at the time
of the accident predicted winds
from 250 degrees at 14 knots gusting to 24 knots, visibility 5 miles in
light snow showers and mist, and
an overcast ceiling at 2,000 feet.
There were numerous pilot
reports for icing earlier in the day,
with light-to-moderate and moderate rime icing from 3,000 to
14,000 feet. There were no urgent
pireps, and pilots interviewed after

the accident noted that this was
normal mid-winter weather.
According to the NTSB, "The
9:54 p.m. METAR for Buffalo indicated winds from 240 degrees at 15
knots gusting to 22 knots, visibility
3 miles in light snow and mist, a
few clouds at 1,100 feet agl, ceiling
broken at 2,100 feet agl, overcast
at 2,700 feet agl, temperature 1
degree Celcius, dew point minus
1 degree C, and altimeter 29.79
inches of mercury (Hg)."
PILOTS

The captain, age 47, held an airline transport pilot certificate and
a first class medical certificate. He
was type-rated on the DHC-8 in
November 2008 after upgrading
from the Saab 340. He had accumulated 3,379 hours of total flying
time, including 3,051 hours in turbine airplanes with 1,030 hours as
a pilot in command, but only 111
hours on the Q400.
The captain's training records
showed he received four certificate disapprovals including his
instrument rating in 1991, commercial pilot in 2002, multiengine
in 2004, and ATP in 2007. Only one
failure was noted in his application
to Colgan. There were several failures in proficiency checks while
at Colgan. However, the check
airmen who flew with the captain said his decision making
was good and he was methodical.

It's likely neither pilot was especially
alert given the length of their duty day
and the quality of rest that preceded it.

First officers who flew with him
in February prior to the accident
said he "handled the airplane well,
used checklists, and did not miss
call-outs" and "created a relaxed
cockpit atmosphere but adhered to
the sterile-cockpit rule."
The first officer, age 24, held a
commercial pilot certificate and
a first class medical certificate.
She was type rated (second-incommand privileges only) in the
DHC-8 in March 2008. She had
accumulated 2,244 hours of total
flying time, including 774 hours in
turbine airplanes, all on the Q400.
She has worked for several months
as a flight instructor for an FBO
and for a year instructing at an airline training center.
She had one flight check failure for an initial CFI certificate, a
not-unusual occurrence. She was
described by check airmen and
captains as "a good pilot who was
sharp, assertive, and thorough;
average to above-average for her
level of experience; as a monitoring pilot was always ahead of the
airplane and cross-checked her
actions."
The NTSB said, "Other captains indicated that, because of
her abilities, the first officer could
have upgraded to captain. None of
the captains interviewed after the
accident reported any problems
with the first officer's adherence
to sterile cockpit procedures or
stated that the first officer had
made any unprompted configuration changes to the airplane while
they were the flying pilot."
The captain had commuted
from Florida and slept in the crew
lounge while the first officer commuted all night from her home on
the West Coast to take a morning flight which was cancelled
because of high winds. She had
been up for hours and claimed to
be suffering from a cold. It's likely
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2014

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