An Amazon cargo plane skidded off the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, resulting in a tragic incident that claimed the lives of at least five individuals as it collided with vehicles and ignited into flames, as confirmed by authorities.
The aircraft failed to stop on the runway after its arrival from San Juan, Puerto Rico, around 2 p.m. ET. Among the casualties, five people lost their lives, three sustained critical injuries, while two others were taken to the hospital with less severe injuries, according to Miami-Dade County officials during a news briefing.
Miami authorities mentioned that it was premature to ascertain whether the deceased individuals were passengers on the plane or occupants of the vehicles struck by the aircraft.
The crash, which emitted thick dark smoke into the air, left the pilot, copilot, and some individuals in cars trapped, as reported by Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. One person was also reported trapped beneath a vehicle.
Flight operations at the bustling airport were suspended for a significant duration after the incident. Firefighters continued addressing a fuel leak from the plane hours after the accident, as mentioned by Jadallah.
Over 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units swiftly responded to the scene, where the aircraft was ablaze, and emergency crews worked to extinguish the flames and attend to the injured.
The Prime Air plane came to a stop near a roadway close to two semi-trucks, based on images from the scene. Despite the fire, the aircraft seemed mostly intact and resting on its underbelly.
The flight had been conducted by 21 Air, a cargo carrier headquartered in North Carolina. The Boeing 767, which is 32 years old, originally intended for passenger transport, had served various airlines for over two decades before its conversion to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.
Approximately 250 flights encountered delays at the airport late Sunday afternoon, as reported by FlightAware, a website monitoring flight disruptions.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced the dispatch of a team to Miami, led by Chair Jennifer Homendy, to conduct an investigation.
Amazon expressed its willingness to collaborate with the investigation, stating, “We’re deeply saddened by the loss of five lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the affected families and loved ones.”
Jackson Lee, the proprietor of an electronics store near the crash site, recounted witnessing smoke rising near the airport’s perimeter fences with his colleagues following the tragic event.
“We hear planes taking off and landing every five minutes. I thought I’d got used to it,” Lee mentioned. “I never thought it could come this close to us.”