The captain of an American commuter plane that crashed into a house near the city of Buffalo, New York, had failed numerous flight tests and had never had proper training on how to respond to an emergency, it has been claimed.

All 49 people on board the plane and another person on the ground were killed in February when the flight from Newark, New Jersey, tried to land in fog and light snow.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Marvin Renslow, the plane's captain, did not know how to respond to a warning system designed to prevent the aircraft from stalling.

The Journal said that Capt Renslow, 47, who joined Colgan Air in September 2005, had a history of failing periodic tests of competency.

As the plane made its approach towards Buffalo with the autopilot engaged, the crew exchanged idle banter, which is prohibited by federal rules on flights flying below 10,000 feet.