The National Transportation Safety Board has published a transcript of the cockpit voice recorder from the Amazon Air cargo jet that went off the end of a runway at Miami, smashed into a van, and killed five people. The recording captures one of the pilots requesting a “go-around” to cancel the landing just moments before the crash.
The final seconds
More than 2 hours of audio were recorded by the cockpit voice recorder. Roughly 1 minute and 42 seconds before the aircraft crashed, one of the pilots warned that they were moving too quickly, and went on to repeatedly remark about the plane’s “excessive speed” for the rest of the recording, per the NTSB summary.
The NTSB has determined that roughly 30 seconds prior to impact, noises akin to the plane coming into contact with the ground can be detected. Approximately 15 seconds after that, a crew member issued a command to abandon the landing, calling for a “go-around.”
The aircraft was off the runway within five seconds.
What the flight data recorder showed
Tuesday’s press briefing featured NTSB investigator Chihoon Shin, who shared details from the flight data recorder. He explained that the aircraft was making its approach to land when throttles suddenly increased several seconds before the recording ended — a move consistent with a “go-around thrust.”
Seconds later, the brakes were put on again and kept on all the way through the rest of the recording. The pilot did not say that either the speed brakes or the thrust reversers were used during that time.
According to the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, both pilots on board the aircraft received treatment and have since been discharged from the hospital.
The victims and the flight
According to NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, the cargo plane that arrived from Puerto Rico on Amazon Air Flight 7598 was carrying roughly 32,000 pounds of mostly contact lenses.
The aircraft went past the end of the runway and struck a Ford Econoline van belonging to an enterprise that maintains airplanes, which was carrying seven individuals at the time.
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office has identified the five people who died.
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Rolando Aleman Leon | 55 |
| Yoel Rodriguez Narajo | 53 |
| Julio C. Pineda | 75 |
| Carlos Acosta Fajardo | 53 |
| Javierkys Reyes Quevedo | 47 |
What happens next
Homendy told reporters at an earlier press briefing that the select moments from the cockpit voice recorder were released on the same day the NTSB expected to interview the two pilots. The agency’s Wednesday update made no mention of any information from those interviews.
“Go-around” — one of the pilots, about 5 seconds before the plane veered off the runway.
A preliminary report is expected in the next few weeks.
The NTSB is still investigating the crash.
Source: abc13.com
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