Accident · 2019-02-23
What the record says
- Event date
- 2019-02-23
- Event type
- Accident
- Highest injury level
- Fatal injury
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 (N1217A)
- Operating rule
- Part 121
- Operator
- ATLAS AIR INC Operator named in NTSB report
- Operated by (per NTSB report)
- Atlas Air
Probable cause
The inappropriate response by the first officer as the pilot flying to an inadvertent activation of the go-around mode, which led to his spatial disorientation and nose-down control inputs that placed the airplane in a steep descent from which the crew did not recover. Contributing to the accident was the captain's failure to adequately monitor the airplane's flightpath and assume positive control of the airplane to effectively intervene. Also contributing were systemic deficiencies in the aviation industry's selection and performance measurement practices, which failed to address the first officer's aptitude-related deficiencies and maladaptive stress response. Also contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to implement the pilot records database in a sufficiently robust and timely manner.
Source: NTSB case DCA19MA086Flight crew
Certification and experience as recorded in the NTSB accident database for this event. The NTSB records these facts about the crew's flying history; GroundCheck shows them as filed, without names or identities.
| Role | Certificate | Instrument rating | Age | Medical | Flight hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Airline transport pilot / Flight instructor | Airplane | 60 | Class 1 (2018-09-06) | 11,172 total · 1,252 in this make/model · 4,235 as PIC · 100 last 90 days |
| Co-pilot pilot flying | Airline transport pilot | — | 44 | Class 1 (2018-11-29) | 5,073 total · 520 in this make/model · 1,237 as PIC · 106 last 90 days |
| Pilot-rated passenger | Airline transport pilot / Flight instructor | — | — | Class 1 | — |
Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.