Five dead after Amazon cargo plane overruns Miami airport runway and hits vehicles

Five people were killed and five others seriously injured after an Amazon Air cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport in Florida, United States, on Sunday.

The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft was attempting to land shortly before 2pm local time after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it ran beyond the end of a runway and struck several vehicles on the ground.

The aircraft, operated by North Carolina-based charter company 21 Air, came to rest at the northwest end of the airport, according to Miami International Airport.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed that five people had died and five others were injured.

Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of those injured were in critical condition. Several injured people were trapped inside or underneath vehicles and had to be freed by fire and rescue crews.

More than 200 firefighters respond

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said crews arrived to find the aircraft on fire, with heavy flames and smoke coming from the crash site.

More than 200 firefighters responded to the incident and managed to extinguish the flames. However, officials said a fuel leak remained at the site.

The mayor said emergency crews arrived within seconds of the crash.

“Right now, our focus is on the families, those who were injured, and the ongoing response,” Levine Cava said at a news conference.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights at the airport as emergency crews worked at the scene, while numerous flights were delayed or cancelled.

Cause remains under investigation

Officials said it was too early to determine what caused the aircraft to overrun the runway.

According to CNN, the pilots did not declare an emergency landing before the incident.

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it had launched a team to investigate the crash, with NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy travelling to the scene. The agency said a media briefing was scheduled for Monday.

Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that the aircraft was travelling at about 112 knots (207km/h) as it exited the usable portion of the runway.

The website also reported that light thunderstorms and gusting winds were present in Miami around the time of the crash. These conditions have not been identified by authorities as a cause of the incident.

Amazon offers condolences

Amazon said the aircraft was operated by 21 Air and was attempting to land when the incident occurred.

“We're heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today's incident at Miami International Airport,” said Kelly Nantel, Amazon's Director of Corporate Global Media Relations.

The company said it was working closely with local authorities and officials to understand what happened and would cooperate fully with the investigation.

The crash occurred during the Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States, causing significant disruption at Miami International Airport.

Passengers told the BBC they faced long queues at airline counters while attempting to rearrange their travel plans, with some reporting that they would have to remain in Miami for an additional night.