The "black boxes" from the cargo plane that veered off the runway at Miami International Airport and collided with vehicles, killing five people and injuring five others on Sunday, have been recovered, the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jennifer Homedy, announced on Monday.
The victims were riding in a van carrying seven employees of a cleaning company contracted by airlines, which was traveling within the airport grounds, as well as in an SUV. The two vehicles were struck in succession by the Boeing 767-300 chartered by Amazon, Ms. Homedi clarified during a press conference at Miami Airport, in the southeastern United States.
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The aircraft broke through a fence and collided with an SUV on a road before continuing on its path and hitting a second fence in an area where Tesla’s robotic taxis were parked, it was reported.
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The aircraft came “about 400 meters” from the tarmac, the NTSB chairwoman noted. Describing the crash site, she spoke of “total devastation,” noting that there was “wreckage everywhere.”
“We were able to recover the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. They will be sent tonight, in a few hours, to NTSB headquarters, where they can be examined and the data they contain retrieved tomorrow,” said Jennifer Homedi.
When asked about the aircraft’s speed at the time of landing, the official limited herself to stating that investigators have “data, but from various sources.”
“We want to confirm this data by examining the flight recorder,” she added, expressing hope that she would be able to provide more information on Tuesday.
“We will take statements from the crew” of the aircraft involved in the accident, he also noted, adding that investigators will also speak with the crews of two other aircraft that were nearby at the time of the accident.
This was the aircraft’s third flight that same day. It had initially departed from Cincinnati for Miami and then flew from Miami to San Juan, in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, before departing from San Juan for its return flight to Miami.
“Our sole objective, as a security agency, is this: safety, saving lives. And that means our recommendations must be followed; otherwise, we’ll find ourselves in the same situation again,” Ms. Homedi emphasized.
Firefighters had to extricate the captain and first officer, who were trapped in the cockpit, as the aircraft’s engines were engulfed in flames, a Fire Department official clarified on Sunday.
The flight was operated by the specialized company 21 Air, which manages aircraft on behalf of the e-commerce giant Amazon.
The accident continued to disrupt operations at Miami International Airport on Monday, nearly 90 flights to and from the airport were canceled, and approximately 400 departures and arrivals were delayed, according to the specialized website FlightAware.
Source: CNA
