Aircraft

US NTSB officials have been dispatched to Lubbock, Texas, to investigate the 27 January crash of an Empire Airlines ATR 42 twin turboprop flying cargo under contract to Federal Express.

Flight 8284 and its two pilots landed 91m (300ft) short of the threshold of Runway 17 at Lubbock International Airport at 0500h local time while on an instrument approach after a flight from Fort Worth. The two pilots survived with minor injuries though the aircraft was destroyed by crash forces and a post-impact fire, says the NTSB.

Weather at the time was reported as 2mi visibility, an overcast ceiling at 152m (500ft) and light freezing drizzle and mist with relatively light winds. Investigators today are working to recover the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, both of which will be sent to the agency's laboratories in Washington DC for analysis.

Participating in the investigation with the NTSB are the FAA, FedEx, Empire Airlines, French accident investigators, ATR and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.