Experts doubt turbulence caused crash of cargo jet in Texas

Aviation experts expressed doubt Wednesday that turbulence could have caused the deadly February crash of a cargo plane in Texas, suspecting human error or a massive malfunction as more likely culprits. The NTSB is investigating why Atlas Air Flight 3591 suddenly dropped during its approach to a Houston airport and has not issued a cause of the crash. The federal agency has said cockpit audio and flight data suggest the pilots lost control and the plane hit turbulence in its final moments. The Boeing 767 struck Trinity Bay while traveling at hundreds of miles an hour — an impact that killed the three men aboard and sprayed debris through the swampy area 40 miles east of George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The bay's deep mud slowed investigators, and aviation safety specialists see the details already released as too little to solve the mysteries of the crash. But they think it's enough to rule out choppy air as a likely cause. "Airplanes operate in situations like that all the time," John Cox, an accident investigator and retired pilot, said of turbulence the plane hit a minute before it entered its fatal drop. Story has more.<br/>