What happened
On February 23, 2019, an Atlas Air Inc. cargo flight, operating as a domestic service for Amazon.com Services LLC, crashed into a muddy area of Trinity Bay, Texas. The aircraft, a Boeing 767-375BCF registered as N1217A, was performing an instrument flight rules approach toward George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH). The flight had originated from Miami International Airport and was proceeding normally through the cruise and initial descent phases.
As the aircraft descended through approximately 6,300 feet, it encountered the leading edge of a cold front characterized by potential windshear and instrument meteorological conditions. During this period, the aircraft's go-around mode was activated. This action was unexpected, as the flight was still far from the destination airport and no verbal commands for a go-around were issued by the crew. Following this activation, manual elevator inputs disconnected the autopilot, leading to a rapid, steep dive. The aircraft struck the ground only 32 seconds after the mode change. The accident resulted in 3 fatalities, involving the captain, the first officer, and a crew member in the jumpseat.
Findings
Data analysis indicates that the aircraft was experiencing light turbulence consistent with the weather conditions present at the time of the incident. The investigation focused on the unintended activation of the go-around mode, which preceded the loss of control and the subsequent impact with the marshland.