Investigation Launched Into Miami Amazon Cargo Plane Crash

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are set to interview the pilots of an Amazon cargo plane that crashed on Sunday. The plane overshot the runway at Miami International Airport, resulting in the deaths of five people on the ground. The two pilots have been released from the hospital and are scheduled for interviews on Wednesday morning as part of the NTSB’s formal investigation, according to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy during a news conference Tuesday night.

The captain of the plane is 55-year-old Joseph Carroll, who had accumulated 7,145 flight hours by March 31. The first officer is 37-year-old Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, with 2,655 flight hours as of August 31. Officials have recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the crash site. Homendy disclosed that the voice recorder contained over two hours of good quality audio, while the flight data recorder had approximately 55 hours of data.

The NTSB plans to release the readout of the cockpit voice recorder after interviewing the pilots. Chihoon Shin, the lead investigator for the NTSB, stressed the importance of crew interviews to understand the pilots’ control manipulations, which will aid in understanding the events leading to the crash.

The investigation will also involve air traffic controllers, dispatchers, and others present during the incident. Tuesday was the first full day the NTSB team spent at the crash site, focusing on collecting perishable evidence such as drone images, videos, and tire marks on the runways.

The Boeing 767 involved weighed approximately 252,000 pounds at takeoff, carrying around 32,000 pounds of cargo, mainly contact lenses. Shin noted that data indicated no deployment of speed brakes or thrust reversers, devices meant to slow the aircraft. However, he refused to speculate on why they were not used.

Homendy mentioned that the investigation will scrutinize the flight’s history, crew experience, and actions taken before impact. The crash occurred around 2 p.m. local time, when the plane overran the runway during landing, colliding with several vehicles and catching fire. It rested about 1,300 feet from the paved runway, with aerial footage showing a debris field encompassing vehicles belonging to the victims.

Two of Miami International’s four runways remained closed, though investigators allowed partial reopening of one runway for departures. Aviation attorney Pablo Rojas, who is not part of the NTSB investigation, reviewed crash footage with CBS News Miami. He noted that the plane was approaching too fast and covering excess horizontal ground.

Rojas suggested mechanical issues might also be involved, pointing out inconsistencies in left-side landing gear contact in the video. Additionally, he raised the question of whether the pilots should have aborted the landing in favor of a go-around, though NTSB officials stated they cannot confirm if a go-around was attempted.