Buffalo Crash Pilot Lacked Experience

A case of pilot error: Investigators probing the Continental jet crash in Buffalo that killed 50 people in February have found that the pilot failed several tests and did not have enough to handle the mechanical errors that led to the plane stalling. Investigators have also found that there were “lapses in cockpit discipline” as well as “chronic pilot fatigue.” The pilot, Captain Marvin Renslow, had five unsatisfactory training grades on his record, though he subsequently passed his exams. Renslow also had only 109 hours of experience flying the Buffalo-bound aircraft, which “an unusually limited amount of time by industry standards,” The Wall Street Journal reports. When the plane’s speed slowed dangerously during its approach to Buffalo, the pilot reacted improperly, forcing the crash.