Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Federal investigators are examining whether an Amazon cargo jet touched down too far along the runway before it ran off the end at Miami International Airport, crashed into vehicles and killed five people. Video of Sunday’s landing appears to show the Boeing 767 staying in the air for a long stretch before landing, and investigators are expected to closely study where it came down, why the pilots did not abandon the landing, and whether the aircraft had enough runway left to stop safely.
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The plane, which had arrived from San Juan in Puerto Rico, overran the runway at about 2 pm on Sunday and crossed a road used by warehouse workers and nearby businesses. Officials said five people died, three were critically injured and two others were hospitalised with less severe injuries. The crash also disrupted operations at the busy airport, with two of its four runways still closed on Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to Miami, where she is expected to give the agency’s first briefing on Monday. Investigators are also likely to examine the aircraft’s speed and braking, weather and wind conditions, the plane’s mechanical condition and any other factors that may have led to the overrun.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said thick black smoke rose from the crash site and the pilot and co-pilot were trapped in the cockpit. Some people in cars were also trapped, and rescue crews had to pull one person from under a vehicle. Officials did not immediately say whether the pilots were among those killed.
Aviation experts said aircraft usually land within the first 3,000 feet, or 914 metres, of a runway. Safety expert Steve Arroyo said that if the cargo jet touched down beyond that normal area, the crew should have abandoned the landing and gone around for another attempt. Mary Schiavo, a pilot and former Inspector General of the Transportation Department, said video posted online appeared to show the Amazon plane floating above the runway for an extended period without raising its nose to bring the main landing gear down sooner.
It was not raining at the time, but dark storm clouds were overhead and strong winds were reported. Schiavo said a tail wind may have played a role. “A tail wind would certainly add to your troubles if you’ve already given up a good chunk of the runway by not touching down and landing right away,” Schiavo said.
The airport does not have an arresting system of the kind the Federal Aviation Administration says has been installed at more than 120 airports in the US to stop planes that run past the end of a runway. But former FAA airport safety and accident investigations director Mike O’Donnell said Miami International appears to meet the rules and was not required to have such a system because it has a 1,000-foot safety buffer at the end of its runways. The requirement followed the 1999 runway overrun of American Airlines Flight 1420 at Little Rock National Airport in Arkansas, which killed nine people.
Images showed the Prime Air aircraft stopped beside a road near two semitrucks. The plane appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire. The flight was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier. According to Flightradar24, the 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers, flew for several airlines for more than two decades and was converted into a cargo aircraft in 2015. Schiavo said the NTSB would also closely examine the plane’s maintenance history, particularly because it had previously been owned abroad, including by a Russian company.
The crash halted flights at the airport for much of Sunday afternoon and continued to affect travel on Monday. An airport spokesperson said there were 160 cancellations and more than 300 delays on Sunday, followed by another 69 cancellations by mid-afternoon on Monday. Flight tracking websites also showed widespread delays. Amazon said it would cooperate with the investigation. “We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport,” the company said. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.”
Investigators are now working to piece together why the aircraft could not stop after landing, with the touchdown point, wind conditions, braking, maintenance history and runway safety measures all expected to come under scrutiny, even as flight disruptions continue at Miami International Airport.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
