ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A regional airline is blaming the pilot for the commuter plane crash that killed 50 people near Buffalo.

Colgan Air says in a report submitted this month to the National Transportation Safety Board that the pilot’s inattention and failure to follow safety rules likely caused Flight 3407 to plummet from the sky on Feb. 12.

An NTSB investigation exposed a series of critical errors by the twin-engine turboprop’s captain, Marvin Renslow, and co-pilot Rebecca Shaw that preceded the crash. Its report on the crash is expected to be released early next year.

The Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 experienced an aerodynamic stall before plunging to the ground, killing all 49 aboard and one man in a house below.