Black box data from an Amazon Air cargo plane that crashed at Miami International Airport has revealed an unusual sequence of events seconds before the accident that killed five people.
The Boeing 767-300, operated by contractor 21 Air, overran the runway Sunday before hitting a van carrying cleaning workers, barriers and an SUV.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators said two sets of landing gear touched down while the aircraft was travelling above 180 mph. The back-left landing gear touched down nine seconds later.
Fifteen seconds before the recording ended, the aircraft was travelling nearly 140 mph when its wheel brakes were released and throttles moved to full take-off power.
Four seconds later, the throttles returned to idle and the brakes were reapplied.
Investigators have not determined why the pilots made those moves. The sequence could suggest an attempted take-off before the crew decided against it.
“What we need to do is talk to the crew and get their account to understand how they’re manipulating the controls in order to get a better understanding of the situation,” NTSB investigator Chihoon Shin said Tuesday.
Investigators also found no indication that speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed.
The NTSB plans to interview both pilots and continue examining the aircraft as it investigates the cause of the crash.
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