The FAA is reporting that a cargo Boeing 767-300 crashed today while enrotue from Miami to Houston. This was an Atlas Air jet with the registration code N1217A operating on behalf of Amazon Air (which often has the “Prime Air”) branding.
Amazon contracts out to three cargo airlines to operate these flights (ABX, Air Transport International, and Atlas Air), and in total they have 40 Boeing 767s flying for them.
The plane in question was nearly 27 years old, and over the course of its life operated for Canadian Airlines, China Southern, LAN, and more. Until 2014 it operated as a passenger jet, and at that point it was converted for cargo operations.
#FAA statement regarding a twin-engine Boeing 767 cargo jetliner crash near Anahuac, TX today around 12:45 p.m. CT. pic.twitter.com/7x2f0wYwcG
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) February 23, 2019
The FAA reports that there were three people onboard the plane. Radar and radio contact was lost with the plane about 30 miles southeast of Houston International Airport, and there was no distress call from the pilots. The plane crashed into Trinity Bay near Anahuac, Texas (this is also confirmed with fight tracking software).
There are also now some pictures of what appears to be wreckage.
.@abc13houston had live images coming in over Trinity Bay. USCG helicopter and boats have arrived in what looks like a debris field in the water. #5Y3591 pic.twitter.com/gNd9lpGyJW
— AirlineGeeks (@AirlineGeeks) February 23, 2019
In total the plane was flying for 2hr6min, and the incident occurred around 12:45PM local time.
Yesterday evening the plane flew from Honolulu to Ontario, then it operated a redeye from Ontario to Miami, before operating the flight to Houston today.
The last fatal cargo crash in the US was on August 14, 2013, when a UPS Airbus A300 crashed just short of the runway in Birmingham, Alabama, killing both of the pilots.
My thoughts are with the crew onboard and their family…
(Featured image courtesy of Jehan Ghouse)
More information has come out today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfjDOi4irgU
This is the video from the Chambers County jail that shows the plane that went down in a straight nosedive.
“ As I said above, making light of tragic events is a normal and very logical reaction. Virtually everyone on the planet does it at some point.”
And for all this time I thought I was normal. Guess not. I just haven’t found it in me to make light of tragic events that bring unhappiness to others. Call me weird I guess.
SMFH
@Anton... U said well. i need to add some points, calendar age is as significant as flight cycle when we come to B767 aircraft. They have fully metallic structure so they are more susceptible for corrosion. undetected corrosion may lead to compromise the structural integrity of the aircraft.
My thoughts are with the crew on-board and their family.
I for one will not be giving my thoughts to the families because I don’t know any of them. And I’m sure, at this present moment in time, my thought is the last thing they want
crosscourt - You're baffled by completely normal, mainstream human behaviour? As I said above, making light of tragic events is a normal and very logical reaction. Virtually everyone on the planet does it at some point.
27 year old is not too old if a plane is properly maintained. Cargo airlines often prefer older converted passenger planes to new fuel efficient ones, because
- They do not put as many cycles per day as passenger airlines, so they can afford sonewhat higher fuel cost by saving more on airplane costs.
- Longer ground time means more time to do proper maintenance on older planes.
- Less utilization means longer plane...
27 year old is not too old if a plane is properly maintained. Cargo airlines often prefer older converted passenger planes to new fuel efficient ones, because
- They do not put as many cycles per day as passenger airlines, so they can afford sonewhat higher fuel cost by saving more on airplane costs.
- Longer ground time means more time to do proper maintenance on older planes.
- Less utilization means longer plane life. Age of the plane is measured not in years but in flight cycles. A 27 year old 767 maybe be "younger" than 10 year old Southwest 737.
@mike - many of the planes Delta and AA fly today had lots of previous owners and are old (e.g. the Delta 717's) That age is not old for a plane that is properly maintained.
I'm totally baffled by the pathetic comments made by some here on a tragedy like this. Trying to make light of something like this is sad.
Jackie - humour is a completely normal and very common way to deal with tragic events. I struggle to believe that you haven't encountered this before?
@ron mexico-yet you keep clicking and responding. So not sure if the financial aspect is lower than your stupidity for continuing to come and remark. I am going with your stupidity.
27 year old plane with a half dozen previous owners....even Allegiant wouldn't fly something that bad.
I'll answer my rhetorical question. ClLICKS are MONEY
@Eskimo
"There goes my 2 day free shipping" doesn't constitute an opinion. It's an asshole comment. Go be a dick somewhere else.
Why did you post this? With no editorial comment included. Curious?
Again, my thoughts are with the crew onboard and their family.
@Jackie
People are entitled their opinion.
Don't be a hypocrite criticizing opinions. People die everyday, let's see how you save all their lives.
Condolences to the families of those involved
Some of the comments made by some posters are just disgusting.
One of the reasons why this blog shouldn’t post news items like this. Ben if you want to post things like this then at least disable comments
@Mark
Hey buddy , seriously.... why don’t you do us all a favor and F off and stop trolling..... seriously not cool bro
@ Y I agree, perhaps suicidal, strange there was no distress call :-(
Thanks Lucky for the post. Where there heck do some of you people come from? "Eskimo," "Guy," "Mark," and "Y," you are all tools. Your parents must be so proud of what you have become.
According to the flight aware track logs, the plane had a rapid loss of altitude within 1 minute until it lost contact, the biggest of which happened suddenly. That's probably why they didn't issue an emergency call.
No distress call? Perhaps it was suicidal?
@Eskimo,
WTF dude? People died and you are complaining about 2 days shipping. FU. AH
So sad to hear this.
I am from the area and let me say this, the county is not a big county, maybe only 30,000 people live in the county. It is also a very marshy area, to the point that they are going to have to use airboats to get out to the crash site since a traditional boat will get stuck in the marshlands out there in the Northern part of Trinity Bay.
Sheriff Department has already set up a command post at Ft. Anahuac park.
@Mark
Get a hobby. Maybe you should start your own blog. That way you can be assured of getting only the content you want and it'd undoubtedly be the Best Blog Ever. /s
I haven't seen this story covered in the MSM and I don't subscribe to cable (no CNN, Fox, MSNBC), so it was the first I'd heard of it.
@Guy
The 767 is a perfectly safe plane and 27 years isn’t old. If an aircraft is well maintained it can easily fly for 30+ years. The A380s are being retired so early because nobody wants them and not because they’re too old.
27 years is not old at all if a plane is properly maintained.
@guy 27 years is not old at all if a plane is properly maintained.
Why would you need to update? A heads up is fine but aren't real news organizations covering this story? Not sure what you could add unless you are on site?
I'm not a fan of 767s & 27 years is way to old to be operating when A380s are being retired after only 10 years...
My thoughts are with the crew onboard and their family.
Lithium batteries?
Weight balance shifts?
New Yorkers?
CIA?
National Enquirer?
Jack Ma?
Walmart?
Putin?
There goes my 2 day free shipping.
The wreckage has been found.