The flight data released by the NTSB included the plane’s speed, altitude and other details such as flap deployment as it approached the runway. The update also included the summary of the conversation between the two pilots. The summary noted that the pilot’s warnings about speed occurred “during the remainder of the recording,” as did the inconsistent verbal response. The update said there was an electronic “sink rate” call for the past few minutes, an automated safety warning about the rate of descent. There was also an electronic “terrain too low” call, another automated verbal warning that the plane was flying too close to the ground without being properly prepared for landing. Aviation lawyer Pablo Rojas told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that it was difficult to know without the actual recording what the NTSB was referring to when it noted the verbal inconsistency. “But it really confirms that, in some ways, this was a doomed approach,” he said. Rojas noted that the flap deployment data included in the NTSB update could also be a cause for concern. The flaps, located at the back of the wings, are “part of what helps the plane slow down and smoothly approach landing,” he said. “The flap deployment here occurred much later in the accident sequence,” Rojas said. “Maybe it’s because the drivers were responding to the fact that they were going too fast.” After overshooting the runway, the plane, Amazon Prime Air Flight 7598, struck equipment on the ground, hit a white Ford pickup truck and then continued forward through a perimeter fence. It then collided with a Toyota Corolla, before stopping about 1,300 feet (394 m) beyond the runway. The five who died were part of the plane cleaning team in the van. Miami authorities identified them on Tuesday as Rolando Alemán León, 55; Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47 years old.
