AT LEAST one Jamaican family is now in mourning following Thursday night's deadly plane crash in New York.

The crash claimed the lives of 49 people aboard a Continental aeroplane and one person on the ground after it crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York, and burst into flames.

Among the victims were Jamaicans Danny Massop (42), Dawn Massop (43), their 13-year-old son, Shawn Massop, and Dawn's sister, Ferris Reid - all from one family.

Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States Anthony Johnson has described the crash as sad and unfortunate.

"We are very sorry to hear of the loss of lives and we hope that it is not more than the four persons who have Jamaican connections," Johnson told The Gleaner yesterday.

Norris Coke, who is married to another of Dawn's sisters, told The Gleaner yesterday that the family was shaken by the tragedy.

"It is pretty rough, but we are coming to grips with it. It is a big loss to the family," Coke said.

The Massops lived in New Jersey and were on their way to vacation with another family member in Canada. Coke recalls that they were "very loving".

"When you are around them you are comfortable, and when-ever you are around them, it is lovely. If you are going to the (United) States, that is where you go. You have to visit Danny and Cutie (Dawn)," Coke said.

Dawn, who along with Danny, Shawn and Ferris, visited Jamaica in December, had her last telephone conversation to Jamaica on Thursday.

"She called my wife and told her that she was heading to Canada ... We saw the news item but never for one moment did we ever think they were involved," Coke said.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Johnson said the accident should not be viewed as a reason to avoid flying.

flying still safe

"I am convinced that flying is still extremely safe. In fact, it is much safer to fly in a plane than to travel on the road. The number of people injured or hurt as a result of flying, as a percentage, is far far lower than what happens on the road," Johnson said.

"The loss of life is the very unfortunate part about it. We mourn with those who have had this unfortunate event with their relatives and we pray that the Lord blesses the souls of those who have passed on," Johnson said.

United States President Barack Obama expressed sadness and congratulated Americans for responding bravely to avert any further loss of lives.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones, and as always, our thanks go out to the brave first responders who arrived immediately to try and save lives, and who are still on the scene keeping people safe," Obama said.

The Jamaican family hails from Golden Spring, St Andrew.

Reports are that the Q400 B****ardier turboprop aircraft crashed into the town of Clarence Center, New York, about five minutes before it was due to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Laura Brown, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administra-tion, as saying that there was no distress call in the seconds before the crash. "It just dropped off the radar," she said.

latest dash 8

The Q400, which is the latest version of the Dash 8 series of planes, is designed to be flown in adverse weather conditions, such as light snow and fog.

The same model planes were ditched by Scandinavian Airlines after two non-fatal crash landings within days of each other in September 2007.

Thursday's crash was the first fatal incident involving this generation of the Dash 8.

In 2007, the Canadian manufacturer advised airlines using the model to temporarily take them out of service to inspect their landing gear after the Scandinavian airline SAS reported landing-gear failures.

The cause of the crash is unknown, but investigators hope to recover clues from the plane's black box.

Americans for responding bravely to avert any further loss of lives.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones, and as always, our thanks go out to the brave first responders who arrived immediately to try and save lives, and who are still on the scene keeping people safe," Obama said.

The Jamaican family hails from Golden Spring, St Andrew.

Reports are that the Q400 B****ardier turboprop aircraft crashed into the town of Clarence Center, New York, about five minutes before it was due to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.