Plane Answers: "Chit-chat" did NOT doom Colgan flight 3407 {Gadling}

May 25th 2009 5:38PM Mr, Wien states:

"......pilot failed to notice a loss of airspeed while on approach"

I question this statement. According to the CVR transcript , the pilots had the Vref (landing speed) bugged at 118kts:

22:05:29.5 HOT-1
... uh we got the weather. bugs are set eighteen
fourteen flaps fifteen. uh off of twenty three I forget let me look it up.

So 130kts was roughly the speed they intended to be flying, not an "unnoticed loss of airspeed". The pilots mistake was in setting their bugs incorrectly, not inadvertently letting their speed get too slow.