UPS A300 Crashes Short of Birmingham Runway

Stephen Pope

Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 08:14 PM ET

Verified

** UPS Flight 1354** Courtesy of the NTSB

Key Takeaways:

A UPS Airbus A300-600F cargo plane crashed short of the runway at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), killing both pilots.
The crash occurred during a non-precision approach to a shorter runway, with witnesses reporting the plane on fire before impact despite no distress call.
NTSB investigators are focusing on potential causes such as a cargo hold fire (including hazardous materials), and are working to recover the cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

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A UPS Airbus A300-600F crashed into a grassy rise about a half mile short of the runway at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) early Wednesday morning, killing both pilots and leaving a fiery debris path stretching nearly 1,000 feet.

There was no distress call from the crew of the cargo plane prior to the crash, according to National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt. The A300 was on approach to Runway 18 in the predawn darkness when it undershot the airport, impacting trees first and then a slight rise of an open grass field more or less on an extended centerline to the runway.A number of witnesses on the ground reported seeing the A300 on fire before the crash, reports that will likely prompt investigators to look into the possibility that a fire in the cargo hold was to blame in the crash. .