The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the fatal Boeing 747 cargo jet crash that happened Monday. The crash of Flight NCR102 happened in Afghanistan at the time of takeoff from Bagram Air Base.
The crash killed all seven Amercian crew members on board and safety investigators are trying to determine the cause. The independent government agency safety board arrived in Afghanistan Thursday to inspect the transportation accident. The board investigates cases in the United States and abroad in major cases, particularly when an American manufactured plane is involved in an accident.
Black boxes will have to be recovered from the Boeing 747, Flight NCR102 crash site, as it contains the crucial flight data and voice recorders to help determine the cause. A video surfaced online which captured the final moments of the crash through a vehicle's dashboard camera.
"That's one dramatic fall out of the sky. It could have been a rock. The plane just flat-out stalled. There's absolutely no question about that," pilot, engineer and partner with the New York-based law firm Soberman & Rosenberg, Arthur Rosenberg told CNN. Rosenberg's firm specializes in plane crash litigation.
The alleged Boeing 747 video shows the plane climbing then stalling before it does a roll and ultimately crashes. "It looks to me like the plane pitched up; the most likely cause would be too much load in the rear. The plane dropped below minimum controllable airspeed and started to roll," Rosenberg said. As reported by CNN, Rosenberg added that it's too early to determine the cause of the fatal crash at this time.
The jet, Flight NCR102 was owned and operated by National Airlines, the parent company of National Air Cargo based in the U.S. National Air Cargo confirmed the crash and said that the flight stopped in Bagram to refuel after taking off from Afghanistan military base, Camp Bastian on its way to Dubai. National Airlines operates charter passenger service in the Middle East and specializes in the transport of military and business freight.
"Safety is always our top priority at National Airlines. This is a devastating loss for our family and we'll work diligently with authorities to find the cause. Most importantly, our thoughts and prayers are with our crewmembers and their families," National Airlines president Glen Joerger, said in a statement.
As posted by Live Leaks, check out the crash video:
