NTSB to Investigate Cargo Plane Crash at US Base in Afghanistan - East Idaho News
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NTSB to Investigate Cargo Plane Crash at US Base in Afghanistan

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Getty 031412 MilitaryTransport2?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1370270336796iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BAGRAM, Afghanistan) — Officials from the Afghan Ministry of Transport held a news conference Monday morning and offered an update on the Boeing 747 cargo plane that crashed dramatically at Bagram Air Base on April 29.

The black box from the plane will be taken to the United States by a team from the National Transportation Safety Board. Preliminary information leads officials to believe that the crash may have been caused by a shift in weight of the plane’s cargo.

According to Mohammad Afzal Ramzi, a representative of the Ministry of Transport, the last word heard on the black box was either “wait” or “weight.” Authorities will have to determine which word the pilot was saying.

Most of the parts found at the site of the crash were burned, while some of the parts that hold cargo in place, including chains and buckles, were broken. At the time of the crash, the plane had been carrying five mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles along with other heavy military equipment.

The investigation could take a year before an official cause is connected to the crash.

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