The captain of the commuter plane that crashed near Buffalo, killing all 49 people aboard and one person on the ground, flunked five flight tests during his career, it was reported last night.
The Wall Street Journal Web site, quoting sources close to the investigation, also reported that Capt. Marvin Renslow was never adequately taught how to respond to a stall warning system — and, in fact, did the opposite of the proper procedure.
Also, his 24-year-old co-pilot, Rebecca Shaw, was heard on the cockpit voice recorder saying she probably should have called in sick, the report said.
The Feb. 12 crash will be the subject of a National Transportation Safety Board hearing tomorrow, when witnesses are expected to provide new allegations about training, chronic pilot fatigue and lapses in cockpit discipline, the Journal said.
Pinnacle Airlines, the parent company of Colgan Airlines, flying as Continental Connection, said the pilot was “fully qualified.”