Air traffic control recordings have been released of the moment an Amazon Prime freighter plane crashed while on approach to Houston Intercontinental Airport.
The Boeing 767 was preparing to land at its destination when it disappeared from both radar and radio communications.
Wreckage was found spread over several kilometres in shallow waters of just 1.5 metres at Trinity Bay, southwest of Houston.
The NTSB released a statement saying the aircraft descended as normal to a height of 6300 feet. Its decent rate then increased to what the NTSB described as "very rapid".
Data from FlightRadar24.com shows the aircraft descending at a catastrophic 27,000 feet per minute and a speed of 470 km/h.
The audio recording begins with Houston controllers welcoming the flight to their region. The flight uses the callsign Giant 3591, (Giant is the callsign for the Prime Air fleet).
Controllers then warn the pilots of a buildup of heavy rain between the aircraft's location and the airport, but advised the crew it would be possible for them to avoid it once the flight got closer.
"There's a little bit of light, well now it's showing light to heavy precipitation, just west of it looks like VAN, and it is moving eastbound, so once you get in closer if we need to go vectors around it, we'll be in route."
Just a couple of minutes later; Houston control calls for the Prime Air flight and has no luck.
The controller then asks other aircraft in the area if they are picking up any emergency locator transmitter signals from the area.
Then as the severity of the incident becomes evident, the controller asks pilots to look for any signs on the ground.
"See if you can make ground contact, we're looking for a lost aircraft, about your 11 o'clock and two miles, it was a heavy Boeing 767 Giant 6090."
Contact was never made.
It's believed there were three people onboard, but only one body has been recovered and the NTSB is investigating.
Newshub.
