Boeing 767 freighter operating for Amazon strikes vehicles after landing from Puerto Rico, prompting temporary airport shutdown during busy holiday weekend.
At least five people have been killed and five others injured after an Amazon Air cargo plane overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, striking several vehicles and catching fire, local officials said.
The Boeing 767-300 freighter, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598 and flown by the charter carrier 21 Air, arrived from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It touched down shortly before 2 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT) and continued beyond the end of the runway, hitting vehicles near the airport perimeter before coming to rest.
Plane Crash Near Miami Airport Kills Five, Injures Five:
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the death toll at a news conference on Sunday evening, stating that five people lost their lives and five others were hurt. Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the injured were in critical condition and taken to a trauma centre, while two others were hospitalised with less severe injuries. Emergency crews reported that some people were trapped in vehicles struck by the aircraft, and the pilot and co-pilot were initially trapped inside the plane.
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units and approximately 200 firefighters responded within minutes. The aircraft was engulfed in flames and produced thick black smoke; firefighters also dealt with a fuel leak hours after the incident. Flight-tracking data indicated the plane was travelling at roughly 112 knots (about 207 km/h) as it left the usable runway.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) immediately ordered a ground stop, closing all runways and taxiways at the busy hub. Two of the airport’s four runways later reopened, but the disruption affected hundreds of flights during the Labor Day holiday weekend, one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Scores of flights were cancelled and many more delayed, with some diverted to other airports.
Amazon Expresses Grief as NTSB Investigates Fatal Cargo Plane Crash:
Amazon said it was “heartbroken” by the loss of life and was working closely with authorities. “We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,” a company spokesperson stated. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the runway overrun. The 32-year-old aircraft had previously served as a passenger jet before being converted to a freighter.
The crash highlights ongoing scrutiny of cargo operations supporting e-commerce giants and the challenges of ageing converted aircraft operating into congested airports. Investigators will examine factors including weather, aircraft performance, runway conditions and crew procedures. Officials have not yet determined whether the fatalities occurred among those on the ground, aboard the aircraft, or both.
As the investigation continues, families of the victims await further details, while travellers and airport staff contend with the lingering effects of the disruption at one of the United States’ major international gateways.