Operator of plane in Miami crash had prior safety complaints by former employees
The Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 cargo plane that crashed off a Miami runway on Sunday, killing five people, was operated by a North Carolina company that has been accused by past employees of violating safety regulations, legal documents reveal.
The Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by North Carolina-based 21 Air crashed into a Miami runway on Sunday, killing five people. Prior to this incident, 21 Air has faced numerous safety complaints from former employees, revealing a history of violating safety regulations. Jim Crane, owner of 21 Air, also owns the Houston Astros.
Former 21 Air pilot Karl Seuring, who has over 30 years of experience, filed a legal complaint alleging he was fired for raising safety concerns. He claims the company's management suppressed safety reports, pressured crew to fly without proper rest, and flew faulty planes. OSHA rejected his complaint over alleged retaliatory firing, but his appeal led to a 2023 Department of Labor tribunal, currently pending.
Former 21 Air chief pilot Bruce Joseph testified he was discouraged from logging safety concerns in the company system, with the safety director allegedly telling him not to put anything in the safety management software before speaking to CEO Mike Mendez. When asked whether reports eventually got filed, Joseph replied most did not.
Retired pilot Tony Bless, who testified in Seuring's case, claimed for years that maintenance safety issues, pressure from the chief pilot's office, and the quality of pilots hired by 21 Air were problems. On Sunday's crash in Miami, Bless said it was not unexpected, citing the aforementioned issues.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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