NTSB Wants Records On Flight 3407 Pilot

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Federal accident investigators are ordering a regional air carrier to turn over previously withheld records regarding the qualifications of the pilots involved in the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo in 2009.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman said in a statement Thursday that she was disappointed to learn that Pinnacle Airlines Corp. of Memphis, Tenn., the parent company of Colgan Air, hadn't provided the accident investigators internal emails relevant to the qualifications of Flight 3407's captain.

The emails recently surfaced in a lawsuit by victims' families. Attorneys for the families say the emails indicate that airline officials had doubts about the captain's flying skills.

Pinnacle has said the captain was properly trained and qualified to fly the plane.

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