Key facts
- A pilot warned of excessive speed on an Amazon cargo plane before it crashed.
- The NTSB is investigating the crash of the Boeing 767-300 in Miami.
- The plane's landing speed was 158 knots (292 km/h).
- Five people were killed and five injured in the crash.
- Flap deployment occurred late in the accident sequence, possibly due to the high speed.
A pilot on an Amazon cargo plane repeatedly warned about the aircraft's excessive speed before it crashed in Miami on Sunday, according to new data released by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Boeing 767-300 was traveling at 158 knots (292 km/h) as it approached the runway, a speed considered high by experts.
The NTSB's update included a summary of cockpit conversations, noting inconsistent verbal responses from the other pilot despite the warnings. Automated safety alerts for "sink rate" and "too low terrain" were also recorded in the final minutes of the flight.
Aviation attorney Pablo Rojas told CBS News that the late deployment of flaps, which help slow the plane for landing, could indicate the pilots were reacting to their high speed. "The flap deployment here happened much later in the accident sequence," Rojas said. "That's maybe because the pilots were responding to the fact that they were going too fast."
After overshooting the runway, the plane struck ground equipment and collided with a Ford van and a Toyota Corolla, coming to rest approximately 1,300 feet (394 meters) beyond the runway. The five individuals killed were part of a plane-cleaning crew in the van. Authorities identified the deceased as Rolando Aleman Leon, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, Julio C Pineda, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo.