No Survivors in Buffalo, NY Commuter Plane Crash

A commuter airplane with 49 people aboard crashed late Thursday night into a house in a small town in western New York State near the city of Buffalo. Authorities say everyone on-board was killed as well as at least one person on the ground.

The wreckage of Continental Airlines flight 3407 lay smoldering Friday morning in the small town of Clarence Center; only the aircraft's tail remained recognizable.

The plane came down about nine kilometers from Buffalo Niagara International Airport where it was due to land shortly after 10:00 p.m. Thursday evening.

County Executive Chris Collins told a news conference that the plane struck a house in the residential community, nearly destroying it and killing at least one resident.

"We do know that there were 48 on the plane - 44 passengers and four crew. Unfortunately, there was a town resident in one home that perished," he said. "Two individuals were able to escape that home incurring minor injuries."

Collins said first responders immediately evacuated residents from about a dozen other nearby homes.

Federal, state and local authorities are converging on the scene to
begin their investigation. Officials said it is too early to determine
the cause of the crash.