WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says a fatal UPS cargo plane crash during a landing attempt last year was caused by pilots who made a series of errors and should have aborted the landing.
The panel also says the pilots may have been suffering from fatigue — but that tougher federal rules governing pilot hours wouldn’t have prevented the accident.
The pilots’ union is seeking tighter rules, but UPS is resisting.
The crash occurred before dawn in August of last year in Birmingham, Alabama. Both pilots were killed. According to the plane’s cockpit voice recorder, both pilots had expressed concern about fatigue and work schedules.
The board agreed that both pilots had prior opportunities for adequate rest, but that they were likely fatigued because the flight from Kentucky took place during the early morning hours, when people naturally crave sleep even if they are well rested. And the board says one of the pilots hadn’t taken full advantage of her rest opportunities.
The board says the primary cause of the crash was the decision of the pilots to continue a landing attempt even after they realized the plane wasn’t lined up correctly. According to the NTSB, they had also failed to monitor the plane’s altitude.
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APPHOTO DCSW110: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) convenes a hearing at the NTSB in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. The NTSB was meeting to discuss UPS Flight 1354 plane crash. The UPS plane, an Airbus A300-600F, crashed shortly before dawn on Aug. 14, 2013, as it was preparing to land in Birmingham. It hit trees and a utility pole before slamming into a hillside and bursting into flames. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (9 Sep 2014)
< APPHOTO WX102: FILE – In this Aug. 14, 2013, file photo, an investigator looks through debris of a UPS A300 cargo plane after it crashed on approach at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. An accident investigations board is scheduled to meet Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, in Washington, to decide the cause of a fatal cargo plane crash that has become the focus of dispute between UPS and its pilot union over whether work schedules are inducing fatigue and jeopardizing safety. (AP Photo/Hal Yeager, File) (14 Aug 2013) < Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.