Last updated: 21 September 2019
| Status: | Preliminary - official |
| Date: | Saturday 23 February 2019 |
| Time: | 12:39 |
| Type: |  Boeing 767-375ER (BCF) (WL) |
| Operated by: | Atlas Air |
| On behalf of: | Amazon Prime Air |
| Registration: | N1217A |
| C/n / msn: | 25865/430 |
| First flight: | 1992-04-21 (26 years 10 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 91063 |
| Cycles: | 23316 |
| Engines: | 2 General Electric CF6-80C2B6F |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Trinity Bay, near Anahuac, TX ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Miami International Airport, FL (MIA/KMIA), United States of America |
| Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX (IAH/KIAH), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 5Y3591 |
Atlas Air flight 5Y3591, a Boeing 767-300 operated for Amazon Prime Air, was destroyed in a crash at Trinity Bay, near Anahuac, Texas, USA. All three on board were killed.
The aircraft departed Miami International Airport, Florida at 11:33 hours local time (16:33 UTC) on a cargo flight to Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Texas, USA. The cruising altitude of FL400 was reached after 20 minutes. Descent towards Houston was commenced at 12:07 hours local time (18:07 UTC).
About 12:30 the pilots contacted the Houston terminal radar approach control (TRACON) arrival controller and reported descending for runway 26L; the airplane was at 17,800 ft with a ground speed 320 knots.
At 12:34, the airplane was descending through 13,800 ft, and the controller advised of an area of light to heavy precipitation along the flight route and that they could expect vectors around the weather. About 12:35, the flight was transferred to the Houston TRACON final controller, and the pilot reported they had received the Houston Automatic Terminal Information System weather broadcast. The controller told the pilots to expect vectors to runway 26L and asked if they wanted to go to the west or north of the weather.
Radar data indicated the airplane continued the descent through 12,000 ft with a ground speed of 290 knots, consistent with the arrival procedure. The pilots responded that they wanted to go to the west of the area of precipitation. The controller advised that to do so, they would need to descend to 3,000 ft expeditiously.
About 12:37, the controller instructed the pilots to turn to a heading of 270°. Radar data indicated the airplane turned, and the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data indicated a selected heading of 270°. The airplane was descending through 8,500 ft at this time.
About 12:38, the controller informed the pilots that they would be past the area of weather in about 18 miles, that they could expect a turn to the north for a base leg to the approach to runway 26L, and that weather was clear west of the precipitation area. The pilots responded, "sounds good" and "ok." At this time, radar and ADS-B returns indicated the airplane levelled briefly at 6,200 ft and then began a slight climb to 6,300 ft.
Also, about this time, the FDR data indicated that some small vertical accelerations consistent with the airplane entering turbulence. Shortly after, when the airplane’s indicated airspeed was steady about 230 knots, the engines increased to maximum thrust, and the airplane pitch increased to about 4° nose up. The airplane then pitched nose down over the next 18 seconds to about 49° in response to nose-down elevator deflection. The stall warning (stick shaker) did not activate.
FDR, radar, and ADS-B data indicated that the airplane entered a rapid descent on a heading of 270°, reaching an airspeed of about 430 knots. A security camera video captured the airplane in a steep, generally wings-level attitude until impact with the swamp. FDR data indicated that the airplane gradually pitched up to about 20 degrees nose down during the descent.
Accident investigation:
|
Classification:
Sources:
» Flightradar24» Atlas Air statement
» FAA statement
» NTSB
Photos
accident date: 23-02-2019
type: Boeing 767-375ER (BCF) (WL)
registration: N1217A
accident date: 23-02-2019
type: Boeing 767-375ER (BCF) (WL)
registration: N1217A
accident date: 23-02-2019
type: Boeing 767-375ER (BCF) (WL)
registration: N1217A
N1217A
accident date: 23-02-2019
type: Boeing 767-375ER (BDSF)
registration: N1217A
accident date: 23-02-2019
type: Boeing 767-375ER (BDSF)
registration: N1217A
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 April 1992 | N6063S | Boeing | first flight |
| 1992 | C-GCAW | Canadian Airlines International | not delivered |
| 16 July 1992 | EI-CFR | GPA | registered |
| 4 Nov. 1992 | B-2561 | China Southern Airlines | |
| Jan. 1997 | CC-CRG | LAN Chile | |
| 14 June 2004 | CC-CRG | LAN Airlines | airline renamed |
| 29 Dec. 2008 | LV-BTE | LAN Argentina | |
| April 2010 | LV-BTE | LAN Argentina | winglets fitted |
| 18 Oct. 2010 | CC-CRG | LAN Airlines | |
| 22 Oct. 2014 | N258CT | CIT Leasing | |
| 27 Jan. 2016 | N258CT | Atlas Air | |
| 5 April 2016 | N631GT | Atlas Air | |
| 8 Dec 2016 | N1217A | Atlas Air | |
| April 2017 | N1217A | Atlas Air | BCF (cargo) conversion |
| 30 Apr 2017 | N1217A | Amazon Prime Air | operated by Atlas |
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Miami International Airport, FL to Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX as the crow flies is 1540 km (962 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Miami International Airport, FL to Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX as the crow flies is 1540 km (962 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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