WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Two UPS cargo pilots violated safety and approach procedures before their plane crashed into an Alabama hillside in August, killing them both, officials said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilots in the Airbus A300 exceeded the maximum vertical descent rate, did not articulate critical altitude changes and violated basic safeguards, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The report said investigators found that the commander of the aircraft had what industry and government experts considered a history of training lapses and proficiency challenges for more than a decade. The checkered record raised questions about the effectiveness of UPS pilot-training programs, the report said.
UPS has said the commander was experienced and qualified. The company said when training issues arose, they were "appropriately dealt with at the time."
