Investigation continues in Texas Cargo Plane Crash
March 13, 2019
A few weeks ago, a Boeing 767 cargo plane crashed into shallow water in Texas, leaving 3 people dead and sparking a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Now, new evidence, including the flight data recorder, has been found in the wreckage and may give information as to why the plane crashed.
On February 23rd, 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591 was approaching George Bush Intercontinental Airport near Houston, Texas and preparing for landing. The aircraft was a large cargo plane, delivering packages for Amazon Prime from Miami to Houston. According to eyewitnesses, the plane suddenly took a sharp dive and began a rapid descent.
Radio contact was lost, and a search and rescue mission began. Because the crash happened in a shallow, swampy area, the United States Coast Guard was dispatched to assist in the search through the debris. All 3 members on board the plane were eventually declared deceased, and 2 of the bodies have been found to the date.
Several witnesses saw the plane go down, and many reported seeing evidence of a struggle in the pilots maneuvers. According to CNN, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said that “There’s no doubt he (the pilot) was having some kind of problem with the airplane”.
Now recently, the NTSB has announced that it has recovered the flight data recorder (FDR) from the debris of the plane. Flight data recorders are NTSB-required devices in planes that record critical aircraft data such as “altitude, airspeed, and heading” according to the NTSB.
The data recorder has since been taken to Washington DC for laboratory evaluation, and results are expected in the near future. The data obtained from the FDR could give vital information about the specifics of the crash, including what could have possibly caused it. The NTSB can also use the data to create a video reconstruction of the flight, assisting in the visualization of its last moments.
It is unlikely that any other clues will have much use to the reconstruction of the crash. The plane was completely destroyed in the accident.
As of now, however, there is still no information as to what could have caused the crash. Residents, investigators, and the families of those affected are hoping for an answer soon.