MIAMI, Fla. At least five people are dead and five others were injured after an Amazon Air cargo plane overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport Sunday afternoon, striking multiple vehicles before erupting in flames and triggering a massive emergency response.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as 21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft operating for Amazon Air. The flight had departed Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and overran the runway after landing in Miami at approximately 2 p.m. local time.
Miami-Dade County officials confirmed Sunday evening that five people were killed and another five were injured. Three of the injured were listed in critical condition.
Authorities had not publicly identified the people killed as of Sunday evening.
Cargo Jet Struck Vehicles After Leaving Runway
The aircraft was arriving from Puerto Rico when it traveled beyond the runway and struck several vehicles on the ground.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said the impact trapped the pilot and copilot inside the aircraft while other people became trapped in vehicles struck by the plane. One person was found trapped beneath a vehicle.
The aircraft caught fire following the crash, sending a large column of black smoke over the airport.
More than 60 rescue units and approximately 200 emergency personnel responded, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue information reported from the scene.
Emergency crews were still dealing with an active fuel leak from the Boeing 767 hours after the crash.
Officials initially said they had not determined whether those killed were aboard the aircraft, inside vehicles struck by the plane or elsewhere in the immediate crash area.
Amazon Plane Was Operated by 21 Air
Although the aircraft was flying for Amazon, the flight was operated by 21 Air, a U.S. cargo airline.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel confirmed that an Amazon Air aircraft operated by 21 Air experienced an incident while attempting to land at Miami International Airport.
Amazon said it was working with authorities to determine what happened.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 767-300 freighter. The FAA independently confirmed both the aircraft type and the flight’s departure point in San Juan.
There is currently no official determination explaining why Flight 7598 overran the runway.
Weather, aircraft condition, braking performance, crew actions and other possible factors will be examined during the investigation, but none should be identified as the cause until investigators release evidence supporting that conclusion.
NTSB Takes Lead in Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Sunday that it is sending an investigative team to Miami led by NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy.
The FAA also confirmed it will investigate.
In major commercial aviation accidents, the NTSB typically leads the safety investigation while the FAA participates and examines regulatory and operational issues.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft itself, flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders, crew history and training, maintenance records, runway conditions, weather information, air traffic control communications and other evidence.
No probable cause has been established, and early information surrounding the crash remains preliminary.
Crash Disrupts One of Nation’s Busiest Airports
The accident brought flight operations at Miami International Airport to a halt immediately after the crash.
Approximately 250 flights were delayed, according to reporting Sunday afternoon.
By Sunday evening, two of Miami International Airport’s four runways had reopened.
The crash occurred in an area containing vehicles near the runway, significantly expanding the emergency scene beyond the aircraft itself.
Photographs from the scene showed the Amazon-liveried 767 beyond the runway with extensive emergency activity surrounding the aircraft.
Investigation Just Beginning
The FAA’s initial statement is intentionally limited.
“21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing at Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 6,” the agency said, confirming that the Boeing 767-300 had departed San Juan.
The FAA stressed that information surrounding aviation accidents is preliminary and subject to change.
Amazon has likewise not offered an explanation for the crash.
What is confirmed Sunday evening is that an Amazon Air Boeing 767 operated by 21 Air overran the runway while landing, struck multiple vehicles and caught fire. At least five people were killed and five others were injured, including three critically.
The investigation into why the aircraft failed to remain on the runway is now underway.
