Atlas Air Flight 3591

Atlas Air Flight 3591
N1217A, the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
DateFebruary 23, 2019 (2019-02-23)
SummaryCrashed following spatial disorientation on approach
SiteTrinity Bay; near Anahuac, Texas
29°45′50″N 94°42′53″W / 29.76389°N 94.71472°W / 29.76389; -94.71472
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 767-375ER (BCF)
Aircraft nameCustomAir Obsession[1]
OperatorAtlas Air under Amazon Air banner
IATA flight No.5Y3591
ICAO flight No.GTI3591
Call signGIANT 3591
RegistrationN1217A
Flight originMiami International Airport, Miami, Florida, United States
DestinationGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas, United States
Occupants3
Passengers1
Crew2
Fatalities3
Survivors0

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 a single passenger on board. The accident occurred near Anahuac, Texas, east of Houston, shortly before 12:45 CST (18:45 UTC).[2][3][4] This was the first fatal crash of a Boeing 767 freighter.[5]

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.

  1. ^ "Taking flight". aboutamazon.com. August 21, 2018. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019.
  2. ^ "Cargo jet with three reported aboard crashes in water near Houston". NBC News. February 24, 2019.
  3. ^ Josephs, Leslie (February 23, 2019). "Atlas Air Flight 3591: Cargo jet crashes near Houston with 3 aboard". cnbc.com.
  4. ^ "Atlas Air Confirms Family Assistance Established in Flight 3591 Accident". Atlas Air Worldwide. February 24, 2019. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  5. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 767-375ER (BCF) (WL) N1217A Trinity Bay, near Anahuac, TX". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved November 30, 2019.