Crash jet 'was on autopilot'.

THE plane that crashed in New York state, killing 50 people, was on autopilot when it went down.

Officials last night revealed that was against flight operator Colgan Air's recommendations for pilots flying in icy conditions.

Steve Chealander, of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Colgan advise manual operation in such conditions.

The pilot of the doomed plane, which crashed in Buffalo last Thursday, had reported "significant" ice on her wings and windshield.

So far, only 15 bodies have been recovered from the jet, which hit a house.

But recovery attempts have intensified after forecasts predicted heavy snow in the next few days.

The plane, flying through light snow and mist, crashed belly-first into the house.

Experts were analysing data from the black boxes, including statements by crew members about a build-up of ice on the wings and windshield, Chealander said.

The NTSB plan to use data on the black boxes to determine whether the plane was in a flat spin before it crashed.

Flight data indicated "severe" pitching and rolling before impact.

Other aircraft in the area experienced icing around the time of the tragedy.

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HORROR: Crash scene