A cargo jet’s landing turned into a deadly runway overrun Sunday at Miami International Airport, where an Amazon flight barreled off the pavement, crossed a roa
A cargo jet’s landing turned into a deadly runway overrun Sunday at Miami International Airport, where an Amazon flight barreled off the pavement, crossed a roadway, and slammed into vehicles below a plume of black smoke.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when the Boeing 767-300 arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, about 2 p.m., officials said.
Three of the injured were taken to a trauma center in critical condition, while two others were hospitalized with less severe injuries.
Federal investigators provided an update during a media briefing on Monday. They said they had recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, which could provide crucial information as they begin examining why the aircraft could not stop after landing.
The Amazon Prime Air flight, operated by North Carolina-based cargo carrier 21 Air, overran the runway, crossed a road used by warehouse workers and nearby businesses, and came to rest near two semitrucks, officials said.
Several victims were trapped inside vehicles struck by the plane and had to be extricated. Authorities have not said whether those killed were aboard the aircraft, on the ground, or both.
The pilot and copilot were trapped in the cockpit after the crash but were removed by responders and taken for treatment. Their conditions were not immediately released.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, which is expected to focus on the aircraft’s approach and touchdown point, speed, braking performance, weather, mechanical systems, and maintenance history.
Miami International Airport does not have an Engineered Materials Arresting System, known as EMAS, at the runway involved. The systems use beds of crushable material at runway ends to slow aircraft that overrun the pavement. The Federal Aviation Administration says the systems have been installed at more than 120 airports.
The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was first delivered as a passenger aircraft in 1994 and later converted to cargo use in 2015, according to Flightradar24. Its age alone does not establish a safety problem, and investigators have not identified a mechanical cause.
The aircraft appears to be the same one that was featured at Seafair in 2016, which took part in a flyover above Seattle, according to Seattle-based aviation journalist Max Chandrasekaran. The tail number for that plane was N1997A, which is the same serial number seen in images taken at the crash site in Miami. KOMO News reached out but neither Boeing nor Amazon would independently confirm this information.
The crash shut down flight operations for roughly three hours during the busy Labor Day weekend.
Amazon said it would cooperate with the investigation and expressed condolences to those affected.
“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport,” the company said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.”
Boeing also said it was extending condolences to the victims’ families and those injured in the crash.
