At least five people have been confirmed dead and five others injured after an Amazon-branded cargo plane overran the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday.
The aircraft, Prime Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 freighter operated by 21 Air for Amazon Air, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it overran the airport’s diagonal runway shortly before 2 p.m. local time and struck multiple vehicles on the ground before bursting into flames. a035
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah, the crash created a “very complex” fire situation. Several victims were trapped inside vehicles struck by the plane and had to be extricated, while the pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the aircraft. Three of the injured are in critical condition. a035
More than 60 rescue units and about 200 personnel responded to the scene. Emergency crews were still battling an active fuel leak from the aircraft hours after the crash. a035
The airport was forced into a full ground stop, halting all flights immediately after the incident. Two of its four runways were later reopened by Sunday evening. a035
In a statement, Amazon said: “We are devastated by the accident involving one of our aircraft in Miami today. Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Data from Flightradar24 showed the plane was traveling at 112 knots (129 mph) when it exited the usable runway.
