At Least 5 Dead After Amazon Cargo Plane Crashes at Miami Airport

At least five people have been killed and five others injured after an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport, struck several vehicles and caught fire, authorities said.

The Boeing 767-300, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it ran beyond the end of a runway at about 2 p.m. local time on Sunday. The aircraft crossed a nearby road used by workers and businesses before coming to rest in an area beside the airport.

The plane was operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the aircraft overran the runway, while Amazon said it was working with authorities to establish what happened.

Miami-Dade County officials confirmed that five people died and another five were injured. Three of the injured were reported to be in critical condition, while two others were taken to hospitals with less serious injuries. The identities of those killed had not yet been released.

The crash triggered a major emergency response, with about 200 emergency personnel deployed to the scene. Firefighters battled flames from the aircraft and dealt with a fuel leak, while rescue teams worked to free people trapped in vehicles and inside the aircraft.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the aircraft struck multiple vehicles after leaving the runway. The pilot and co-pilot were initially reported trapped in the cockpit as emergency crews worked to reach them.

Dramatic images from the scene showed the aircraft resting beyond the runway with heavy black smoke rising from the wreckage.

The crash caused a temporary ground stop at Miami International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the United States, as emergency crews responded.

More than 160 flights were cancelled and nearly 325 delayed by late Sunday, according to FlightAware, while some flights were diverted to Orlando International Airport. Airport operations subsequently began returning to normal as runways reopened.

The cause of the crash remains unknown.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is sending a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to investigate the accident. The FAA is also investigating.

Weather conditions may have been a factor. Thunderstorms and wind gusts of up to about 30 mph were reported in the area around the time of the crash, although officials have not established that weather caused the accident.

The aircraft was about 32 years old and had originally been built as a passenger aircraft before being converted into a freighter. Investigators will examine the aircraft, flight data, weather conditions, runway performance and the crew’s actions as they work to determine what went wrong.

Amazon expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.

The tragedy comes as aviation authorities continue to examine runway-overrun risks at airports, particularly in situations involving adverse weather and high-speed landings.