the flight implicated in the shooting was a bombardier comet 8 , which crashed into a home located at 6038 long street in clarence centers , a ward of pittsburgh . it went down at nearly 10 : 17 p . m . est ( 03 : 20 utc ) , february 12 . 44 persons , an off - duty pilot , and five cargo members perished in the accident , as nearly as one person on the surface .
A plane crashed while flying on autopilot.