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) early Wednesday morning, killing both pilots.
The plane was executing a non-precision approach to Runway 18, which was in use due to the longer runway being closed for construction.
Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft on fire before impact, prompting investigators to examine the possibility of a cargo hold fire, similar to a previous UPS crash involving lithium batteries.
The NTSB is recovering the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, and reviewing the flight manifest for hazardous cargo, to determine the cause of the crash.

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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. .