Wrongful death trial from Continental Connection 3407 crash begins
Volunteer firefighters attempt to put out the flames from Continental Airlines Flight 3407 on Feb. 12, 2009 after it crashed into a home near Buffalo, N.Y. killing all 48 people on board. Credit: AP /The Buffalo News
Opening statements are underway in a wrongful death claim filed after the 2009 crash of Continental Flight 3407 into a home near Buffalo.
The attorney for the family of Doug Wielinski spent about 90 minutes Thursday describing his life up until the night Continental Connection Flight 3407 slammed into his suburban home. His family is suing Continental and the regional carrier that operated the Newark, New Jersey-to-Buffalo flight.
Wielinski was the only person killed on the ground when Flight 3407 stalled and crashed into his house in Clarence.
All 49 people on board the flight were killed. The passengers' families have settled their lawsuits for undisclosed amounts.
The Wielinskis' claim names Continental Airlines, regional carrier and flight operator Colgan Air, and Colgan's parent, Pinnacle Airlines.
The two sides differ on whether Doug Wielinski died instantly.
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Sarra Sounds Off, Ep.16: From Island to island, how football helped overcome tragedy Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to Carey football player James McGrath about how he has persevered after losing his parents at a young age, and to the Lahainaluna (Hawaii) High School football coach about how his team persevered after the Maui wildfires of 2023, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Long Island teams photo shoot.
