The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash of a large Amazon cargo plane in Texas on Saturday, February 23, 2019. The crash killed all three of the plane’s passengers. Officials have stated that the twin-engine Boeing 767 crashed into Trinity Bay at approximately 12:45 p.m., roughly three miles west of the Chambers County Airport at Anahuac.
Atlas Air flight 3591 was one of 20 cargo planes operated for Amazon. Reported to be flying from Miami to Houston, the regularly scheduled flight lost radio and radar contact just 30 miles southeast of George Bush International Airport. The aircraft, branded for Amazon Prime Air, had been converted to cargo from a passenger plane in 2016.
Photo: Facebook/Anthony Carpeneti
A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman stated that the cargo jetliner was a 26-year-old plane which was outfitted to carry goods for Amazon’s free-shipping membership program, Prime. It has been confirmed by local deputies that human remains have been found at the crash scene, however, they were not in the plane’s cabin. No black box has yet been recovered. Robert Sumwalt, the National Transportation Safety Board Chairman, stated that the plane was descending until approximately 6,300 feet, after which it started a “very, very rapid descent.”
Photo: Facebook/BNO News
National Transportation Safety Board officials were said to be on site in Texas on Saturday evening to meet with representatives from Atlas Inc., local officials, and members of the FAA. The crash site was described by Sheriff Brian Hawthorne as “total devastation.” He told local10.com, “When I got out there, it was just floating debris. Everything from bedsheets to women’s clothing to cardboard boxes to a lot of fiberglass. Then as we got closer, we started seeing plane debris. Knowing what I saw, I can’t believe anyone could survive it.” According to local authorities, witnesses saw the plane crash nose-first into Trinity Bay. A debris diameter of no more than 50 feet across would support that report. Atlas Air Inc. has issued a statement saying: “We can confirm there were three people on board the aircraft. Those people and their family members are our top priority at this time. Atlas Air is cooperating fully with the FAA and NTSB.” The company has since established assistance for the families of those who were lost in the crash. There has been no statement issued on the Amazon press link with respect to the crash. Known as the largest e-commerce business, the popular online marketplace company has broadened its shares in the global economy since its establishment, branching into other sectors in the process. In 2017, it announced its purchase of Texas-based Whole Foods Market in a transaction worth $13.7 billion.
