Two Fatally Injured When Cargo Plane Went Down In Birmingham, AL

The National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled an investigative hearing on February 20 into an accident involving a UPS Airbus A300-600 on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, AL, on Aug. 14, 2013.

The two flight crew members were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed when it impacted the ground less than a mile short of Runway 18. The cargo flight had originated from Louisville, KY. Runway 18 was being used because the main runway at the airport was closed for repairs at the time of the airplane's arrival.

The one-day hearing will examine execution of non-precision approaches, including initial and recurrent training, adherence to standard operating procedures, and proficiency; human factors issues associated with effective crew coordination and resource management applicable to this accident, including decision-making, communication, fatigue and fitness for duty, as well as monitoring and cross-checking, policies, standard operating procedures, guidance, and training provided to UPS crewmembers; and dispatch procedures, including the training, evaluation, roles and responsibilities of UPS dispatchers and the limitations of dispatch-related software.

The investigation is ongoing and this hearing will develop additional facts to support the investigation. The hearing will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. A detailed agenda and a list of attendees will be forthcoming.

Parties to the hearing will include the Federal Aviation Administration, UPS, Airbus, the Independent Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union. The accredited representative from the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile (BEA) will participate on the technical panels.

The determination of the probable cause of the crash will be released when the investigation is complete. Just prior to the start of the hearing, the public docket will be opened. Included in the docket are photographs, interview transcripts and other documents.

(NTSB image)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov