A Boeing 767 cargo jet crashed in a bay outside of Houston with three people on board Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Atlas Air Flight 3591 was traveling from Miami to Houston when it crashed into Trinity Bay, near Anahuac, Texas, shortly before 12:45 CT, the FAA said.
The plane was operating for Amazon Air, the online giant’s air cargo business, according to Flightradar24, an airline tracking site. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Atlas Air is one of the cargo airlines that Amazon contracted to operate the Amazon-branded fleet, along with Air Transport Services Group. Each operates 20 Amazon-branded planes for the air freight service, which was previously called Prime Air.
Video taken at the scene by local news outlets showed debris in the bay, including a piece of material that appeared to feature a part of Amazon’s logo.
The flight lost radar and radio contact about 30 miles southeast of its destination, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, said the FAA.
“FAA investigators are on their way to the accident site, and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified,” said FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford in a statement. “The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation.”
The NTSB said it was sending a “Go Team” to the crash site on Saturday evening from Washington D.C.
Atlas Air confirmed that three people were on board the aircraft.
“Those people and their family members are our top priority at this time,” the company said in a statement. “Atlas Air is cooperating fully with the FAA and NTSB. We will update as additional information becomes available.”
Boeing, which manufactured the plane, said it in a statement that it “is deeply saddened to learn of the accident.
“We are concerned about the safety of the three people reported to be on board the airplane,” said the statement.
Boeing added that it would provide technical assistance to the NTSB’s investigation.
The Boeing 767 was powered by GE CF6-80C2 engines, one of General Electric’s most popular aircraft engines. The company said in a statement that it was aware of the accident and it has a team in place to “provide all the necessary support required.”
-CNBC’s Phil LeBeau contributed to this report.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
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