A 767 touching down at 158 knots with its nose gear and right main gear reaching the runway nearly together immediately establishes how abnormal this landing had become. Captain Steve uses the newly discussed NTSB flight-data timeline to reconstruct the final seconds of the Prime Air-contracted 21 Air flight, focusing on excessive speed, the prolonged float, delayed full weight-on-wheels braking, and the absence of recorded spoiler or thrust-reverser deployment. The detailed sequence gives the update considerably more substance than a reaction based solely on exterior footage.
The most revealing section concerns what happened after braking began. According to the NTSB information presented, brakes were applied at 146 knots, the left main gear touched down at 134 knots, and at 120 knots the brakes were released while thrust increased to values consistent with go-around thrust. Four seconds later, the throttles returned to idle and the brakes were reapplied at 117 knots. That sequence provides an important answer to the earlier question of whether a go-around was attempted, but the presentation occasionally moves too quickly from recorded parameters to assumptions about precisely what the pilots were thinking.
Captain Steve's long experience flying the 767-300 gives his technical explanation practical value. He describes how landing-gear position, spoilers, thrust settings, lift and braking effectiveness interact, and he explains why getting the aircraft firmly onto its main gear matters when runway is disappearing rapidly. He also corrects himself after initially saying braking could not occur before both main gear were down, clarifying that some braking could occur but would not yet provide the full effect he was discussing. That correction is welcome, although a more carefully qualified explanation from the outset would have been cleaner.
The unresolved wind question is handled with reasonable caution at first. Captain Steve notes that Miami winds can shift quickly and wonders whether a tailwind contributed, but repeatedly acknowledges that the available information does not yet establish one. More firmly supported is his argument that the approach and landing presented multiple opportunities for abandoning the attempt, especially given the speed, extended float and late touchdown. His broader safety message—that an unstable approach should trigger a go-around rather than an effort to salvage the landing—is clear and consistent throughout.
Less convincing is the confidence with which preliminary evidence becomes a causal judgment. The captain describes the decision to advance the throttles and then abandon the apparent go-around as "probably the fatal decision," while also acknowledging that investigators had not yet interviewed the pilots and that important details remained unknown. Likewise, his discussion of the crew's relatively limited time on the 767 is relevant context, but the available information does not by itself establish that unfamiliarity with the aircraft caused their decisions. The distinction between a concerning factor worth investigating and a demonstrated cause needs greater discipline in an accident investigation that is still developing.
The presentation becomes strongest again when it returns to concrete evidence: the aircraft leaving the runway at a reported 96 knots, traveling roughly 1,300 feet beyond it, striking vehicles, and the flight recorder showing no indication that speed brakes or thrust reversers deployed. The exterior footage, drone perspective and second-by-second data complement one another effectively, conveying both the remaining energy and the consequences without needing elaborate graphics. Captain Steve's admiration for NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and criticism of the FAA are much more personal in tone, however, and the extended praise and referral to a separate FAA interview pull attention away from the specific evidence surrounding this accident.
Pros
- Builds the update around specific flight-data-recorder speeds and control changes rather than relying only on visual interpretation.
- Clearly identifies the remarkable sequence in which braking was followed by thrust consistent with a go-around before the throttles returned to idle and braking resumed.
- Uses practical 767 experience to make landing-gear, spoiler, braking and thrust-reverser behavior understandable.
- Appropriately acknowledges that the possible role of a tailwind remained unresolved.
- Exterior footage and the drone view effectively illustrate how much speed the aircraft retained when it departed the runway.
Cons
- Sometimes treats preliminary evidence as supporting firmer conclusions about crew decisions and causation than the incomplete investigation can yet establish.
- The discussion of the pilots' relatively low time on the 767 risks implying a causal connection that has not been demonstrated.
- Commentary about what the pilots were likely thinking goes beyond what flight-recorder parameters alone can reveal.
- Repeated praise of Jennifer Homendy, criticism of the FAA and promotion of a separate interview distract from an otherwise tightly evidence-focused accident update.
The newly presented flight data makes this a substantially informative reconstruction of an extraordinarily troubled landing, particularly because the late apparent go-around attempt and its reversal add critical context to the runway excursion. Captain Steve's technical experience makes the sequence accessible, but greater restraint around pilot intent and ultimate causation would better match the preliminary state of the investigation.
