Investigators Feb. 16 located key components that might help reveal what the pilot did to try to save a plane that crashed into a house Feb. 12 near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground.

After a seemingly routine flight, the airplane endured a 26-second plunge before smashing into a house in icy weather about 10 km from Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Continental Connection Flight 3407 plunged to the ground so suddenly that sending a Mayday was impossible, an investigator said.

National Transportation Safety Board member Steve Chealander said Feb. 15 that the pilot appeared to ignore recommendations by the NTSB and the pilot's employer that the autopilot be turned off in icy conditions. The autopilot remained on until an automatic system warned that a stall could occur, pushed the yoke forward and shut the autopilot off.