NTSB: Air Traffic Controller Failed to Warn Pilots About Tail Winds Before Amazon Cargo Plane Crash
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board found that an air traffic controller failed to warn pilots of an Amazon cargo plane about strong tail winds before it crashed in Miami last month.
The Boeing 767, operated by 21 Air, was landing at Miami International Airport on September 6 when it careened off the runway and hit a van carrying airport workers. Five people died in the crash.
The NTSB report said that despite regulations requiring it, the air traffic controller did not provide wind information to the pilots. The plane's pilots had warned each other about going too fast as they approached for landing, but their counterpart never gave a consistent verbal response.
According to the report, the plane was well down the runway when it touched down, reducing its stopping distance. Experts believe that strong winds from approaching storms could have created a tail wind that propelled the plane forward.