Share

Search continues for body at Texas plane crash site

Share

ANAHUAC, Texas (AP) — Authorities scoured the shallow waters of a southeast Texas bay Monday for clues about what led to the sudden crash of a Boeing 767 cargo plane carrying Amazon packages, and for the body of one of the three people aboard.

A north wind has aided searchers by exposing more of the three-quarter-mile debris field left Saturday when Houston-bound Flight 3591, which Atlas was operating for Amazon, disintegrated on impact with Trinity Bay, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) east of the city, an area sheriff said Sunday night. But the National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that it would not be releasing more information on the search Monday.

White chunks of fuselage could still be seen Monday sticking out of the bay’s long grass as airboats skimmed the low water around the crash site.

None of the three people on the jumbo jet survived the crash, according to authorities and the plane’s owner, Atlas Air. On Sunday, emergency workers recovered two bodies from the costal bay , which were sent to a medical examiner’s office for autopsies.

Sheriff’s deputies and investigators from the FBI and NTSB are searching for the remaining body and the plane’s black box, which records flight data and voices in the cockpit. Crews are searching the area with boats and helicopters, but the muddy landscape has made the process “painstaking,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwal said Sunday.

The only person aboard the flight from Miami to be officially identified was a pilot for another airline who had been riding in a passenger seat on the cargo plane.

Mesa Airlines Capt. Sean Archuleta had been getting a lift back to his home in the Houston area, his friend told the Houston Chronicle . The 36-year-old was a new father and weeks away from starting his “dream” job flying for United Airlines, Don Dalton, Archuleta’s roommate, told the paper.

Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne confirmed Monday the identities of Archuleta and First Officer Conrad Aska, the 44-year-old co-pilot whose body was found Saturday.

Archuleta’s wife lives in Colombia and was “devastated” by the news of his death, Dalton said.

Atlas Air said in a Sunday statement that it has established a program to support the families of the dead and that it has a team, including CEO Bill Flynn, at the crash site to assist investigators.

Before Saturday, the most recent crash involving a large cargo plane in the United States was in 2016, according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.

The non-fatal incident began when the landing gear of a FedEx flight collapsed soon after it touched down on a runway at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The left wing of the McDonnell Douglas MD-10-10F caught fire and the plane was badly damaged in the crash, but the two crew members were able to evacuate, the spokesman said.

___

Associated Press writer Bleiberg reported from Dallas.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation