A Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 operated by Colgan Air has crashed in New York state, resulting in several fatalities.

Colgan Air's parent Pinnacle Airlines says in a statement that the aircraft came down in a suburb of Buffalo, a city in New York state, at around 22:20h local time last night. Colgan Air is a feeder carrier to Continental Airlines and operates under the Continental Connection banner.

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 © PA Photos

News reports, quoting fire department and airport officials, say there were around 50 people on board and that a number of those, as well as one person on the ground, were killed.

The Colgan Air aircraft was operating a commuter flight from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo airport.

While on its approach to Buffalo airport, the flight crew reported mechanical problems, say some of the news reports.

    Source: Air Transport Intelligence news