Investigators hunt for reason behind Amazon Air cargo crash that killed at least five people
There's tragedy as an Amazon Air cargo plane has reportedly overshot the runway at Miami International Airport, causing multiple injuries and at least five fatalities.
It's said that the plane hit the runway just before 14:00 local time, with the Boeing 767-300 crossing a road beyond the runway and hitting several vehicles on the ground.
The plane was being operated by the North Carolina-based 21 Air, landing from San Juan in Puerto Rico.
It's currently unclear whether the fatalities are those on the ground, in the aircraft, or both, although it's said the road is used by warehouse workers and other businesses that operate in the vicinity of the airport.
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The incident comes in the aftermath of a UPS cargo plane bursting into flames in 2025, killing all three pilots and 12 on the ground.
In a news conference on Sunday evening, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed, "At least five people have lost their lives, and five others are injured," while 21 Air said it was "devastated by the accident involving one of our aircraft in Miami."
Causing travel disruption throughout the evening, Cava added that rescue teams were on the scene within 'seconds'.
Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah says that three of the five injured are currently in a critical condition, while the other two were hospitalised with less serious injuries.
Jadallah explained how the deadly crash trapped the pilot and copilot in the plane, with someone else having to be pulled from beneath a vehicle by fire and rescue crews.
Although some 200 emergency personnel attended, that wasn't enough to prevent this tragic loss of life. As firefighters used foam to extinguish a complex engine compartment fire, crews were still dealing with a fuel leak hours later.
Dramatic scenes show black smoke billowing into the sky.
In terms of what could’ve caused the crash, pilot and former Inspector General of the Transportation Department Mary Schiavo says a video shared online appears to show the Amazon plane floating above the runway without flaring its nose up to force the main landing gear onto the ground.
Both Amazon and 21 Air have said they're cooperating with the investigation from the National Transportation Safety Board. Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said she will hold a press conference today (Monday, September 7), and factors under investigation will likely include whether the plane flew too far before touching down.
As noted by The Independent, the landing zone is supposed to be within the first 3,000 feet of a runway.
According to aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, if the Boeing 767-300 had been beyond this area, the pilots should've aborted the landing and gone around for a second attempt.
Even though it wasn't raining at the time of the crash, there were reports of dark storm clouds on the way and strong winds.
According to Schiavo, a possible tailwind could've contributed to the crash: "A tail wind would certainly add to your troubles if you’ve already given up a good chunk of the runway by not touching down and landing right away."
It's noted that Miami International hasn't been equipped with the same arresting systems that over 120 US airports have to stop planes from going past the end of a runway. The Federal Aviation Authority maintains that these beds of lightweight material have saved at least 497 lives due to planes overrunning.
There are sure to be questions about the age of the plane, with the 32-year-old Boeing 767 carrying passengers for over 20 years before it was converted into a cargo plane in 2015.
Schiavo says the NTSB will be looking closely at the history and maintenance of the plane, especially as it has foreign ownership (including a Russian company) in the past.