Five killed after Amazon cargo plane overruns runway at Miami airport

At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.

The Boeing 767 freighter, operated by cargo airline 21 Air on behalf of Amazon, ran beyond the end of a diagonal runway shortly before 14:00 local time and hit several vehicles on the ground, authorities said.

Three of those injured were in critical condition. Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said two people were trapped inside vehicles struck by the aircraft, while the pilot and co-pilot were trapped in the cockpit.

Authorities had not released the identities of those killed.

Major emergency response

More than 60 emergency units and about 200 personnel were sent to the scene as rescue teams searched the wreckage and dealt with a continuing fuel leak.

Images from the crash showed the aircraft resting with its nose on the ground and its tail raised, with apparent scorch marks visible along its right side.

Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft was travelling at about 112 knots, or 129mph, when it left the usable runway.

The airport suspended flights immediately after the crash, although two of its four runways had reopened by Sunday evening.

Investigation underway

The aircraft was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter that had previously served as a passenger aircraft for several airlines before being converted for cargo operations.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team led by its chairwoman, Jennifer Homendy, to Miami to determine what caused the crash. The agency is expected to give its first briefing on Monday.

Amazon said it was working with authorities to establish what happened.

“Our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved,” company spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said.

Operator 21 Air said it was “devastated by the accident” and offered its condolences to the families of those who died. Boeing and 21 Air said they would co-operate with the investigation.

Previous fatal Amazon-linked crash

The accident comes more than seven years after another fatal crash involving an Amazon Prime Air flight.

In February 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a Boeing 767-300 freighter flying for Amazon Prime Air, crashed into Trinity Bay in Texas during a flight from Miami to Houston. All three people on board were killed.

Investigators will now examine the aircraft's condition, flight data, weather, runway conditions and the crew's actions to establish what led to Sunday's crash.

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