
On February 23, 2019, at 1239 central standard time, Atlas Air Inc. (Atlas) flight 3591, a Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid- to large-size, mid- to long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was Boeing's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft has two turbofan engi…
...
Atlas Air Flight 3591.
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | February 23, 2019 |
Summary | Crashed during approach due to pilot error and spatial disorientation |
Did Atlas plane crash due to turbulence?
Atlas Air cargo plane that crashed near Houston, killing 3, appears to have hit turbulence. As the plane dropped from the sky on Feb. 23, its speed accelerated to 495 mph, a federal transportation safety agency said.
What happened to Atlas Air 3591?
Atlas Air 3591 departed Miami at 10:33 CST (11:33 EST), with first officer Aska as the pilot flying and captain Blakely monitoring the controls. At 12:36, Aska transferred control of the aircraft to Blakely, telling him that the electronic flight instrument (EFI) switch on his side had malfunctioned.
What was the name of the plane that crashed in Houston?
^ Schuetz, R. A. (February 24, 2019). "3 confirmed dead after Boeing 767 cargo plane's nose dive into Trinity Bay". Houston Chronicle.
What happened to the plane that crashed at IAH?
The accident flight’s departure from MIA, en route cruise, and initial descent toward IAH were uneventful. As the flight descended toward the airport, the flight crew extended the speedbrakes, lowered the slats, and began setting up the flight management computer for the approach.

Why did Atlas Air crash?
As flight 3591 descended into Houston, First Officer Aska accidentally bumped the left TOGA switch with his wrist while holding the speed brake lever. The resulting acceleration triggered a somatogravic illusion which tricked him into putting the plane into a dive from which the pilots failed to recover.
What is the deadliest air crash in history?
Tenerife airport disasterAccidentDate27 March 1977SummaryRunway collision in fogSiteLos Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Ciudad de La Laguna Airport) Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain 28°28′53.94″N 16°20′18.24″WTotal fatalities58338 more rows
Has Boeing 767 ever crashed?
On Feb. 23, 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591 — a Boeing 767 cargo flight operated for and in the colors of Amazon Air — was en route from Miami to Houston when it crashed into a shallow marsh near Trinity Bay, Texas.
Why did Amazon plane crash in Houston?
Investigators say a pilot's errors and disorientation were primary factors in causing the crash of a Boeing 767 cargo plane near Houston. The plane was carrying cargo from Miami to Houston for Amazon.com when it crashed into Trinity Bay, killing all three men on board.
What is the most unsafe aircraft?
Top 5 Most Dangerous Aircraft ModelsTupolev Tu 154 - 7 Fatal Crashes.CASA C-212 – 11 Fatal Crashes.Ilyushin Il- 76 - 17 Fatal Crashes.LET L-410 – 20 Fatal Crashes.Antonov 32 – 7 Fatal Crashes.
What airline has the least crashes?
AirlineRatings.com has named Air New Zealand as the safest airline in the world for 2022....Here's a closer look at AirlineRatings' top 20 safest airlines in the world.Air New Zealand.Etihad Airways. ... Qatar Airways. ... Singapore Airlines. ... TAP Air Portugal. ... Scandinavian Airlines. ... Qantas. ... More items...•
How many 777 crashed?
As of September 2021, the 777 had been involved in 31 aviation accidents and incidents, including 8 hull losses (5 during flight and 3 on the ground) with 541 fatalities, and 3 hijackings.
What is the safest Boeing plane?
737-800According to experts, the model (737-800) is considered to be the safest aircraft ever made. The 737-800 belongs to the aviation giant's next-generation aircraft which also includes 600, 700, and 900. A passenger aircraft of China Eastern Airlines crashed in the southwestern province of Guangxi.
How many Boeing 767 are still flying?
Airline operators at April 2022 (not completely up to date) There were 742 Boeing 767 aircraft in service (not completely up to date), comprising 73 767-200s, 632 767-300s and 37 767-400ERs, as listed by variant in the following table.
What caused the cargo plane crash in Texas?
Investigators say the co-pilot who was flying the jet was a “train wreck” in training. DALLAS — Investigators say a pilot's errors and disorientation were primary factors in causing the 2019 crash of a Boeing 767 cargo plane in Anahuac, Texas.
What caused Amazon crash?
Amazon said that an automated activity to scale capacity of one of the AWS services hosted in its main AWS network caused a large surge of connection activity that overwhelmed the networking devices between its internal network and the main AWS network, resulting in delays for communication between these networks.
What caused the Amazon cargo plane crash?
The NTSB determines that the probable cause of this accident was the inappropriate response by the first officer as the pilot flying to an inadvertent activation of the go-around mode, which led to his spatial disorientation and nose-down control inputs that placed the airplane in a steep descent from which the crew ...
What is the deadliest and most unforgettable accident in aviation history?
On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport), on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The crash killed 583 people, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history.
How many fatal planes crashed in 2022?
Number of fatal accidents per year involving commercial (passenger or cargo) flights of aircraft certified for 14+ passengers....accidentsfatalities202282015-yr-avg.8204
How many died in China plane crash?
132 peopleA China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed in March, killing 132 people, appears to have been intentionally flown into the mountainside below by someone at the controls, according to reports.
What is the safest airline?
Air New ZealandThis year, Air New Zealand has come out on top on the annual safety table, which monitors 385 carriers from across the globe, measuring factors such as the airlines' crash and serious incident records, the age of their aircraft, as well as Covid-19 protocols and operational innovation.
What airline crashed on February 23, 2019?
Advertisement. In some ways, accidents that can’t be avoided are easier to accept than ones that should’ve been avoided but weren’t. The crash of an Atlas Air Boeing 767 operating as Flight 3591 and carrying cargo for Amazon and the United States Postal Service on February 23, 2019, falls into that latter category, according to NTSB investigators.
Does the FAA have to disclose previous negative actions?
While the FAA is under no obligation to implement such proposals, in this case the agency seems predisposed to crack down on pilot record keeping, as it has signaled in recent proposals. If the FAA does indeed require that pilots disclose such previous negative actions that previously were not required to be disclosed or for which there were no record keeping mechanisms in place, it could mean new levels of jeopardy for pilots and evaluators on many fronts.
Does the NTSB have the power to implement FAA regulations?
The NTSB doesn’t have the power to implement such regulations. It can only recommend that the FAA do so, which it in most cases declines to follow through on, for a number of reasons, many of the related to practicality and others, to economics.
What caused the accident in the Atlas Air plane?
Investigators attributed the accident to pilot error, finding that the first officer experienced spatial disorientation and inadvertently placed the aircraft in an unrecoverable dive , while the captain failed to adequately monitor the first officer's actions and the flight path of the aircraft. Flight crew training issues at Atlas Air and across the U.S. commercial aviation industry were also implicated.
How many people died on Atlas Air?
On February 24, Atlas Air confirmed that all three people on board died. The victims were first identified on social media by friends and family. By February 26 the bodies of all three had been recovered, and by March 4 all had been positively identified.
What were the issues with Aska?
First officer Aska had also experienced training difficulties with Atlas Air, more so than Blakely. He had also recorded training failures with previous employers. Another Atlas Air 767 captain who had flown with Aska described him as a "nice guy" and "definitely in the top half of the people I've flown with," though he did not state any issues regarding training. Aska's first issues were reported in July 2017, the same month he joined Atlas Air, when he was declined an oral exam for his type rating on the 767 as he needed remediation training. Following the training, he passed the oral exam. Aska then went through five fixed-base (non-moving) flight simulator sessions, experiencing difficulties with normal procedures, and underwent more remediation training. In August, following two full-flight simulator training sessions, Aska's simulator partner complained that he was being "held back." Atlas Air ultimately had to restart full-flight simulator training for Aska because no other pilots remained in his training class to partner with him. : 5–6
Why did Aska hide his training?
Investigators concluded that Aska had deliberately concealed his spotty training record when he interviewed with Atlas Air, taking advantage of shortcomings in the FAA pilot records database, which was criticized by the NTSB. A 2010 amendment to the Pilot Record Improvement Act (PRIA) passed after the 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 required the FAA to record training failures in the database; however, this provision had not been fully implemented due to privacy concerns and industry opposition, particularly from business aviation operators who objected to the program's stringent record-keeping requirements. Atlas Air was also criticized for its reliance on agents rather than flight operations specialists to check the training backgrounds of pilots it hired.
How many hours did Captain Blakely fly on the 767?
He had also been a Beechcraft 1900 first officer for CommutAir, and a flight instructor for FlightSafety International. : 5 Blakely logged a total of 11,172 flight hours, including 1,252 hours on the Boeing 767. : 3–4
Why did Aska request radar vectors to the West side of the airport?
First officer Aska then requested radar vectors to the West side of the airport to avoid the inclement weather. The controller accepted though advised the crew to expedite their descent to 3,000 feet (910 m) and said, "I'm gunna get ya west of this weather and northbound for a baseleg." Blakely then transferred control of the aircraft back to Aska:
What is the name of the aircraft that crashed in the Amazon crash?
The Boeing 767-375ER ( BCF) ( MSN 25865/430) aircraft was registered N1217A and was nearly 27 years old at the time of the accident, having been built in 1992. It was originally ordered by Canadian Airlines, but first placed into service by China Southern Airlines through GPA, an aircraft leasing company. In 1997, it was transferred to LAN Airlines and flew for 19 years before being stored in January 2016. It was converted into a freighter in April 2017, and placed into service for Amazon Prime Air by Atlas Air. In August 2018, Amazon named two aircraft in its fleet, including N1217A as CustomAir Obsession. The name, painted on the aircraft just aft of the cockpit windows, was a near homonym of "customer obsession," an Amazon leadership principle. The aircraft had accumulated more than 91,000 hours over 23,300 flights and was powered by two GE CF6-80 turbofan engines.
What happened to Atlas Air?
Atlas Air cargo plane that crashed near Houston, killing 3, appears to have hit turbulence. As the plane dropped from the sky on Feb. 23, its speed accelerated to 495 mph, a federal transportation safety agency said. Local and federal officials gather at a staging area during the investigation of a plane crash in Trinity Bay in Anahuac, ...
What happened to the jet that crashed into the shallow bay?
The jet, which had been carrying cargo from Miami for Amazon and the US Postal Service, disintegrated upon impact with the shallow bay.
How far was the wreckage of the plane recovered?
The tidal waters carried some parts of the plane and much of its cargo south, and some wreckage was recovered up to 20 miles from the crash site.
When did the plane crash in Anahuac?
Local and federal officials gather at a staging area during the investigation of a plane crash in Trinity Bay in Anahuac, Texas on Feb. 23, 2019. Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle via AP. DALLAS — A Boeing 767 appears to have hit turbulence a minute before it dropped into a rapid descent and smashed into a Texas bay in February, ...
What plane hit Texas Bay?
By Associated Press. DALLAS — A Boeing 767 appears to have hit turbulence a minute before it dropped into a rapid descent and smashed into a Texas bay in February, killing all three people aboard.
What happened to Atlas Air Flight 3591?
This incident resulted in three fatalities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today held a webcast to determine what happened.
What was Atlas shocked about?
Atlas was shocked about the crash. Photo: Atlas Air
Who is the president of Atlas Air?
Simple Flying has seen a statement from John Dietrich, the president and chief executive officer of Atlas Air Worldwide. He said that the accident has significantly impacted all of the members of staff at the company. He also added that firm remains heartbroken about the losses, and it continues to provide the affected families with care and support.

Overview
Atlas Air Flight 3591 was a scheduled domestic cargo flight under the Amazon Air banner between Miami International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. On February 23, 2019, the Boeing 767-375ER(BCF) used for this flight crashed into Trinity Bay during approach into Houston, killing the two crew members and single passenger on board. The accident occurred near An…
Background
The Boeing 767-375ER(BCF) (MSN 25865/430) aircraft was registered N1217A and was nearly 27 years old at the time of the accident, having been built in 1992. It was originally ordered by Canadian Airlines, but first placed into service by China Southern Airlines through GPA, an aircraft leasing company. In 1997, it was transferred to LAN Airlines and flew for 19 years before being stored in January 2016. It was converted into a freighter in April 2017, and placed into service fo…
Accident
Atlas Air 3591 departed Miami at 10:33 CST (11:33 EST), with Aska as the pilot flying and Blakely monitoring the controls. At 12:36, Aska transferred control of the aircraft to Blakely, telling him that the electronic flight instrument (EFI) switch on his side had malfunctioned. This issue was resolved a minute later, with the following being recorded on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR):
Aska: "I press the Ef-y button, it fixes everything."
Victims
On February 24, Atlas Air confirmed that all three people on board died. The victims were first identified on social media by friends and family. By February 26 the bodies of all three had been recovered, and by March 4 all had been positively identified.
Investigation
Investigators from the FAA, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were dispatched to the accident site with the NTSB leading the accident investigation. A dive team from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) was tasked with locating the aircraft's flight recorders and dive teams from the Houston and Baytown police departments w…
In popular culture
The crash will be featured on Season 23 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday.
See also
• China Airlines Flight 140 – 1994 Airbus accident involving the inadvertent actuation of go-around mode
• Delta Air Lines Flight 723
• Gulf Air Flight 072 – 2000 Airbus accident involving a sensory illusion after actuation of go-around mode
External links
National Transportation Safety Board
• Air Traffic Control transmission recording
• Investigation docket
• NTSB Animation of Flight 3591 Accident on YouTube