Miami Crash Kills 5 After Amazon Cargo Plane Overruns Runway

Q: Why did the experienced pilots fail to abort the landing despite storm clouds and touching down too late on the runway?

No one yet knows why the pilots did not go around. Investigators have not assigned fault, and the key evidence — the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — is still being analyzed by the NTSB. What is known is that video and tracking data appear to show the Boeing 767 staying airborne well down Runway 30 before touchdown, which is why experts say the approach may have been unstable. In normal airline practice, if an aircraft is too fast, too high, carried by gusts or tailwind, or touches down beyond the normal touchdown zone, crews are generally expected to abort the landing and try again. That said, several possible explanations remain open. Strong winds and dark storm clouds were reported near the airport, and analysts have pointed to a possible tailwind component that could have made the jet “float” and consume too much runway. Investigators are also examining braking performance, runway condition, aircraft speed, crew actions, air traffic control, and any mechanical or hydraulic problems that may have limited stopping or complicated the decision in the final seconds. Another factor is timing. Once a large jet is very low, partially on the runway, or already touching down, the safe window for a go-around can narrow quickly. If the crew believed the landing was still recoverable, they may have continued rather than reject it. Whether that judgment was reasonable is exactly what the NTSB is now trying to determine.

3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Sep 8

Five cleaning-company workers killed in Sunday’s Miami airport crash were identified Tuesday after an Amazon-branded Boeing 767-300 struck their van during a runway overrun.
The plane was landing from San Juan on its third trip of the day when it ran past the runway, hit navigational equipment, smashed the van, broke through a perimeter fence and then struck a Toyota SUV.
Five other people were injured: two men remained in critical condition, one was stable, and both pilots were treated and released.
Professional Ocean Service Corp., which owned the van and contracted with airlines, said it was heartbroken, while 21 Air said it was cooperating with federal investigators.
The NTSB is leading the investigation and has recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, but says it is too early to determine what caused the overrun.