Accident Overview
On February 23, 2019, at 1239 central standard time, Atlas Air Inc. flight 3591, a Boeing 767-375BCF registered as N1217A, was destroyed after it rapidly descended from an altitude of about 6,000 feet mean sea level. The aircraft crashed into a shallow, muddy marsh area of Trinity Bay, Texas, approximately 41 miles east-southeast of George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH). The three occupants—the captain, first officer, and a nonrevenue pilot riding in the jumpseat—died in the accident.
Flight Details
The flight was operated by Atlas Air Inc. under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a domestic cargo flight for Amazon.com Services LLC. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, at about 1033 central standard time (1133 eastern standard time) and was destined for IAH.
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted an investigation into the accident. The full report is available at the NTSB website with the report number NTSB/AAR-20/02. The probable cause has not been stated in the available summary.