The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is preparing to interview the pilots of an Amazon cargo plane that crashed on Sunday at Miami International Airport, resulting in five fatalities on the ground. After overshooting a runway, the plane collided with several vehicles, causing a fire. The two pilots, who have been released from the hospital, are scheduled for interviews on Wednesday as part of the investigation, as NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy announced.
Captain Joseph Carroll, aged 55, had accumulated 7,145 flight hours by March 31. The first officer, Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, aged 37, had 2,655 flight hours by August 31. Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were retrieved from the crash site. Homendy shared that the cockpit voice recorder has over two hours of quality audio, while the flight data recorder contains around 55 hours of data. The NTSB plans to release the cockpit voice recorder’s information after the pilots are interviewed.
Lead investigator Chihoon Shin stated that speaking with the crew will provide insights into the controls’ manipulation during the incident. This information, combined with data from the recorders, will help fill information gaps. The investigation also involves air traffic controllers, dispatchers, and other personnel present at the crash.
Tuesday marked the NTSB team’s first full day on site, focusing on collecting perishable evidence like drone images and tire marks on the runway. The plane weighed about 252,000 pounds at takeoff, including roughly 32,000 pounds of mostly contact lenses. No hazardous materials were found.
NTSB data showed no evidence of speed brakes or thrust reversers being deployed, both of which assist in slowing or aiding descent. Shin emphasized that, without speculation, a detailed aircraft performance study will be conducted to understand the landing’s circumstances and aircraft functionality.
The aircraft, a Boeing 767-33, crashed at around 2 p.m. local time, coming to rest 1,300 feet from the runway. Two of four runways at Miami International remained closed Tuesday; investigators permitted partial reopening of one runway for departures.
An aviation attorney, Pablo Rojas, reviewed footage and noted the plane’s excessive speed on approach. He also suggested mechanical issues, such as inconsistent contact of the left landing gear with the ground, may be factors in the crash. Questions were also raised about not attempting a standard go-around procedure. NTSB officials could not confirm whether a go-around was attempted.