What pilot of deadly Amazon plane crash reportedly told wife moments after disaster
A disturbing comment allegedly made by one of the Amazon plane crash pilots moments after the disaster has been revealed.
The two pilots, later identified as 55-year-old Joseph Carroll and Silva Molina, 37, miraculously walked away from the smash with just minor injuries after their Amazon cargo jet overshot on a Miami runway, killing five people and injuring five more.
The fatal incident, which occurred at around 2pm local time on Sunday, 6 September, saw a Boeing 767-300 cargo craft attempting to land at the Miami International Airport, having traveled from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The aircraft appeared to overshoot the runway, before smashing through an airport perimeter fence and hitting two vehicles.
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New details emerge from plane's Black Box
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now studying flight data recordings and information from the plane's Black Box, which was recovered from the wreckage, in bid to determine what caused the fatal collision.
They previously confirmed the Amazon cargo jet collided with a Ford van that was carrying seven people working for airline cleaning contractor Professional Ocean Service Corp, as well as hitting a Toyota SUV.
According to aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, a typical landing zone is confined to the first 3,000ft of the runway and if the jet touched down beyond that, it should have aborted the landing rather than continuing the attempt.
Federal investigators are now trying to establish whether the Amazon plane touched down too late to stop safely, while examining other contributing factors like brake performance, weather and wind conditions and the aircraft's mechanical condition.
Fatal crash caused 'utter devastation'
NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy described the incident as 'utter devastation,' adding: "I would describe it in one word, devastating, utter devastation. I mean, you can see on the paved surface, tire marks that continue through the grass. There's debris everywhere.
"It's pretty extensive. Hard to see and I'm sure it must have been very difficult for the responders as well."
Speaking to The Independent, Miami-Dave Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadalla shared harrowing details from the rescue efforts that ensued following the collision.
"A couple of victims were actually trapped in the vehicles, so a complex extraction with our technical rescue team started to occur. In addition to that, we had a very complex fire," he said, adding: "including a search and rescue of the pilot and co-pilot that were trapped in this aircraft."
Pilot's comments moments after crash
Moments after the fatal incident, one of the pilots borrowed an airport employee's phone to let her know he was okay.
Speaking to CBS, Miami International staffer Abraham Altamar said: "He was shaking and a little injured in his forehead and his hand.
"I was like, ‘Hey, you want me to call 911?’ He’s like, ‘No, we already called them.'"
Altamar then handed over his phone so the pilot could call his wife, however it remains unclear which of the two pilots it was.
He allegedly heard the pilot telling his wife: "Just tell my mom that I was in the accident, but I’m already out of the plane, that I’m good."
While clearly very upset, he is said to have told his wife: "My career is over."
It is unknown whether the pilot was aware of the fatalities at this moment in time.
Emma Rosemurgey