Amazon Cargo Plane Crash Raises Questions About Pilot Training
A cargo plane operated by Amazon careened off a Miami runway on Sunday afternoon, killing five people and injuring several others. According to cockpit voice recordings released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), one of the pilots repeatedly warned his counterpart that they were coming in too fast as they approached for landing.
The pilot's warnings went unheeded, with the fellow pilot failing to provide a consistent verbal response. The plane touched down awkwardly and attempted to take off again before crashing into a van carrying five workers who lost their lives. Five others were hurt, including two who remained in critical condition on Tuesday.
Experts have pointed out that the pilots should have aborted the landing while the plane was still airborne and circled around to try again. The Amazon plane was well down the runway when its right and nose landing gear first touched down, reducing the distance it had available to stop. Strong winds at the airport may have contributed to the crash.
The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015. The NTSB will investigate the jet's ownership history, weather conditions at the time of the crash, and maintenance records as part of their investigation into the incident.