At least five people died when an Amazon cargo plane arriving from Puerto Rico overshot the runway and crashed at Miami International Airport in Florida on Sunday afternoon.
The crash halted operations at one of the largest airports in the US after the plane caught fire and sent thick smoke into the sky. Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said the crash trapped the captain and copilot inside the cockpit.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a press conference on Sunday that five other people sustained injuries in addition to the five fatalities.
During the same conference, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said 10 people were involved in the crash. Five died, three remained in serious condition, and two others went to a nearby hospital.
Jadallah described the incident as a “very complex situation,” saying the plane veered off the tarmac and crashed into several cars, trapping several people inside.
In a social media post late Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it had formed a team to investigate the crash. The agency scheduled a media briefing for Monday.
Videos shared online showed an aeroplane bearing the Amazon arrow logo on its tail surrounded by thick plumes of smoke. Unverified reports suggested casualties, but authorities had yet to confirm the number of people injured or killed.
The plane was a Boeing 767 flying for Amazon Prime Air.
A Miami International Airport representative said the aircraft came to a stop at the airport’s northwest end after overrunning its diagonal runway.
Meanwhile, FlightAware, a service that tracks airline disruptions, reported that about 250 flights faced delays at the airport late Sunday afternoon.
Backstory…
Recall that in 2019, an Amazon cargo plane operated by Atlas Air crashed while approaching Houston, killing all three people aboard. That investigation later identified spatial disorientation and pilot-related factors among the causes.
However, reacting to the most recent incident, Amazon has stated that it would cooperate with any investigation.
Additionally, it said, “We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami international airport,”
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.”
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