Two systems that could have slowed an Amazon Air flight that crashed in Miami over the weekend weren't deployed before the plane careened off a runway, into nearby vehicles, investigators said late Tuesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board didn't find evidence on one of the plane's black boxes that the Boeing 767's speed brakes, which are panels that create aerodynamic drag, or thrust reversers, which redirect air to lower the plane's speed while landing, were deployed, lead investigator Chihoon Shin said at a news briefing.
The aircraft's wheel brakes were applied 23 seconds before the end of the black box's recording, but then those brakes were released a few seconds later and the throttles increased to levels consistent with go-around thrust, Shin said. Go-arounds are routine maneuvers pilots perform to redo landing attempts.
After that, Shin said, the throttles were reduced to idle power and the brakes were reapplied until the end of the data recording.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy declined to speculate about why the systems weren't deployed.
The jet overran a runway on Sunday at Miami International Airport and crashed into nearby vehicles, killing five people and injuring five others. Investigators are probing factors that may have contributed to the crash, including the plane's speed, the weather and runway safeguards.
The aircraft touched down at 158 knots, or roughly 181 miles an hour, Shin said. Within 30 seconds, the plane reached its final ground speed of 65 knots, or about 75 miles an hour.
Homendy said the flight's captain, 55 years old, was certified to fly the jet in May and had about 7,100 flying hours as of March. The first officer, 37 years old, was certified to fly the jet last year and had over 2,600 flying hours as of last month. Investigators were set to interview the pilots about the crash on Wednesday, Homendy said.
The two pilots on the plane were among the injured and have been released from the hospital, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said at a news briefing Tuesday. Two others remain in critical condition while one is in stable condition, she said.
Cordero-Stutz said the victims killed range in age from 47 to 75.
Homendy said most of the cargo on the plane was made up of contact lenses. Cargo carrier 21 Air operated the flight.
Homendy said earlier this week that the plane ended up 1,300 feet beyond the paved runway and crashed into a Ford Econoline van carrying seven people for a cleaning service. The plane also hit a Toyota SUV outside the airport.
The aircraft may have been approaching Miami's airport too fast, The Wall Street Journal previously reported, citing government and industry officials tracking the accident investigation.
Amazon has said that it is working closely with local authorities and officials and will cooperate with any investigation, while 21 Air said it was devastated by the accident.