It hit a home in the quiet hamlet of Clarence Center as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport a few miles away, killing all 49 on board and one in the home.
It was perhaps not the most glamorous of destinations, or the most luxurious of flights: a turboprop plane pushing through wind and snow and fog to an ailing Rust Belt city. But for many of the passengers and crew aboard, it was a journey home, even if only after a days work, or a chance to reconnect with friends and family for a long holiday weekend.
And, as in all such disasters, there were tales of bad luck and terrible coincidence, of great life stories and modest love affairs, of long-awaited reunions turned into rituals of grief.
Two members of the jazz musician Chuck Mangiones band saxophonist and wind player Gerry Niewood and guitarist Coleman Mellett were also on board, on their way to perform with Mr. Mangione and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, according to Mr. Mangiones publicist, Sanford Brokaw. Mr. Mangione, in a statement, said he canceled the performance and was shocked at the loss of his dear friends and band members.
