Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport, killing at least five, injuring scores
- Plane strikes multiple vehicles after leaving runway, bursts into flames.
- Three of five injured in critical condition, while two others are stable.
- More than 60 Fire Rescue units rush to scene as firefighters battle fire.
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, striking several vehicles and catching fire.
Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the airport’s diagonal runway shortly before 2pm local time (1800 GMT) after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Boeing 767-300 came to rest near the northwest end of the airport after hitting multiple vehicles on the ground.
Three of the five injured people were in critical condition, officials said.
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units rushed to the scene after the aircraft caught fire, with thick smoke rising from the blue-and-white jet. Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze while crews assessed and treated those affected.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft resting on its belly with its nose close to the ground and its tail raised, while scorch marks were visible on part of the fuselage. The crash also caused a fuel leak that emergency crews were dealing with hours later.
The aircraft was operated by North Carolina-based cargo carrier 21 Air on behalf of Amazon. It had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.
The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built as a passenger aircraft and was later converted into a freighter in 2015, according to flight-tracking data cited by AP.
Miami International Airport shut all runways and taxiways following the crash, while authorities imposed a ground stop on flights. Hundreds of flights were delayed, and dozens cancelled, with officials warning passengers to expect significant disruption.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said travellers should expect “significant delays and potential cancellations” following the crash.
Amazon said it was working with local authorities to determine what happened and that the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved remained its “absolute priority”.
“This is a fast-moving situation, and we’re still gathering details,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said.
The FAA said it would investigate the crash, while the National Transportation Safety Board began gathering information at the scene.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
