Plane hits town; dozens dead

Another commercial flight has crashed in a residential neighborhood.

Last night, a Continental Express flight crashed into the small town of Clarence Center, New York. The fiery crash killed everyone aboard - and it also sent a house bursting into flames, destroying it as well. A local emergency official said, "It could have easily taken the whole neighborhood."

This story underscores an issue I touched on years ago - but which remains unresolved. Airline safety has become an issue not just for passengers and flight crews but for folks in their own homes.

Flight paths go over residential neighborhoods that are heavily populated but don't have the clout to fight the potential hazards - especially against the powerful airline industry. This could have just as easily happened to your city, your neighborhood, or even your home.

This follows the American Airlines crash just months after 9/11 that destroyed much of a Queens neighborhood.

In addition to other safety measures, I think it's time to take another look at remapping flight paths to keep tragedies like these from being repeated.

Will it take another Queens or another Clarence Center for the industry to act?

(Source: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/02/13/commercial_plane_crashes_into_ny_hamlet_killing_49)