Among Flight 3407 which crashed last week shortly before landing at the Buffalo airport in New York, were two band members of jazz great Chuck Mangione. Gerry Niewood played saxophone and flute and Coleman Mellett played guitar in Mangione's band which was scheduled to perform last Friday with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at the Kleinhans Music Hall. Mangione, who postponed the concert in a statement, said: "I'm in shock over the horrible, heartbreaking tragedy of the crash of Flight 3407, which took the lives of my dear friends and band members. I am grieving and praying with their families and friends."

Gerry Niewood played on Mangione's very first record when the saxophonist was only 14 years old and he played with everyone from Patti Austin to Simon & Garfunkel to Grover Washington, Jr. Mellett released a solo album in 2007 called Natural High.