An Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, striking multiple vehicles and bursting into flames in a deadly crash that killed at least five people and injured five others.The Boeing 767-300, operating as Amazon Prime Air Flight 7598 and operated by cargo carrier 21 Air, had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the aircraft ran off the runway shortly before 2pm local time.Dramatic footage showed the plane racing beyond the runway before crashing through an area used by warehouse workers and other businesses surrounding the airport. Thick black smoke and flames could be seen rising from the aircraft as emergency crews rushed to the scene.The plane eventually came to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trucks. Images showed the aircraft largely intact but resting on its belly and engulfed in flames.Five people were killed in the crash, while another five were injured. Three of the injured were in critical condition, according to Miami-Dade County officials. It was initially unclear whether the pilots survived or whether all those killed were in vehicles struck by the aircraft.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said the pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the cockpit following the crash, while some people were also trapped in vehicles. Crews had to rescue a person who was pinned beneath a vehicle.
Huge emergency response as flights disrupted
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units and around 200 emergency personnel responded as firefighters battled an intense fire involving the aircraft. Specialised airport firefighting units used foam to extinguish the flames, while crews continued dealing with a fuel leak several hours after the crash.The accident brought operations at the busy airport to a halt for much of Sunday afternoon, with more than 160 flights cancelled and nearly 325 delayed by late in the day. Some flights were also diverted to Orlando International Airport.The cause of the crash remains unknown and is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, which sent a team led by its chairwoman, Jennifer Homendy, to Miami.Weather conditions may also form part of the investigation, with thunderstorms and wind gusts of up to 30 mph recorded in the area around the time of the crash.Aviation experts have raised questions about the aircraft’s landing. Former United Airlines pilot Steve Arroyo said investigators would need to establish whether the plane touched down within the designated landing zone and, if not, why the crew did not abort the landing and attempt another approach.Former Transportation Department inspector general Mary Schiavo, meanwhile, said video of the landing appeared to show the aircraft floating above the runway for an extended period before touching down, potentially leaving insufficient runway to stop safely.
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