Witnesses recall moments before Atlas Air cargo plane crash in Chambers Co.
ANAHUAC, Texas (KTRK) -- Robert Kruezer and his son were driving home when something caught his attention.
"Out of the corner of our eyes, we saw a plane coming down at a 45-degree angle," Kruezer said. "And then it went down behind the tree line."
Kruezer knew it wasn't good.
"I called 911 and told them a plane went down in the bay, and then I called some friends to help look for survivors. I thought it was a passenger plane," Kruezer said.
It wasn't a passenger plane, but a cargo jetliner.
RELATED: Human remains found after Atlas Air cargo plane crashes
A Boeing 767, owned by Atlas Air, and contracted to deliver for Amazon Prime.
The company has daily flights from Miami to Houston. Saturday's plane was scheduled to arrive at Bush International Airport at 1:17 p.m. It nose-dived into the bay at 12:45 pm.
Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said the debris field extended about three-fourths of a mile near the mouth of the Trinity River. Sheets and clothing were floating on the surface, along with cardboard and pieces of the plane.
Late Saturday afternoon, Hawthorne confirmed human remains were found outside the plane. Three crew members were aboard the flight when it crashed.
Before rescue and recovery teams arrived, volunteers in airboats headed to the scene, in hopes of saving anyone who might have survived.
Many of them helped rescue people during Harvey, including Kade Till.
"That was our first thought," Till said. "That's why we went out there, to save anybody." After seeing the debris, Till realized there was nothing to save.
As of Saturday night, Fort Anahuac Park is closed to visitors. The sheriff expects it will remain closed for weeks while federal investigators, including the NTSB and the FBI, go through the scene.
The sheriff said it's considered a crime scene by the FBI until it's proven it was an accident.
The recovery of the aircraft is expected to take several weeks. It is mired in the mud of the bay.
The names of the crew members who perished have not been released.
