An Atlas Air Boeing 767 Freighter aircraft Flight No. 3591 operating on behalf of Amazon from Miami to Houston crashed into the water on Saturday (23 February) killing three on-board.
The aircraft reportedly nose-dived into shallow water in Texas, when it crashed about 40 miles southeast of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Atlas Air said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that Atlas Air Worldwide has confirmed that the three people on board Atlas Air Flight 3591 did not survive the accident on Saturday, February 23, 2019, in Anahuac, Texas.
“Atlas’ primary focus is working to provide the families of those affected with care and support. The company has established a Family Assistance Center staffed with specialists to support the families. Atlas Air Chief Executive Officer Bill Flynn is on site with a team from the airline.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected,” said Atlas Air chief executive officer, Bill Flynn. “This is a sad time for all of us. Our team continues to work closely with the NTSB, the FAA and local authorities on the ground in Houston.
“We would like to commend the efforts of all of the first responders. We sincerely appreciate their efforts and support in the investigation.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter on Saturday it had launched a “Go Team” to investigate the crash of the freighter near Baytown, Texas.
It added a tweet yesterday showing NTSB senior investigator Jim Hookey with Dan Kemme of GE aviation, examining wreckage recovered from the scene of the accident.
The union Airline Professionals Association, which represents Atlas Air’s pilots said: “Our union stands together as a family and in support of our members’ families. Our focus is on our friends and colleagues who were on that plane, and we are doing everything we can to support their families.”
According to the FAA website, the aircraft was built in 1992.
