MIAMI (AP) — An Amazon cargo plane crashed off a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, resulting in at least five fatalities as it struck vehicles and caught fire, according to authorities. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. after the aircraft arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Miami-Dade County officials reported that five individuals were killed, three sustained critical injuries, and two others were hospitalized with less severe injuries. Officials indicated it was too early to determine if the deceased were on board the plane or in the vehicles that were impacted.
The crash produced thick black smoke and trapped both the pilot and copilot in the cockpit, as well as some occupants in vehicles, according to Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. One individual was also reported trapped under a vehicle. The incident caused a temporary halt to flights at the airport for much of the afternoon, with fire crews managing a fuel leak from the plane several hours post-crash.
Images from the scene showed the Prime Air plane resting beside a roadway near two semi-trucks, largely intact despite the fire. The flight was operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The Boeing 767, which was originally built for passenger service, had been converted to cargo use in 2015, as noted by flight-tracking site Flightradar24.
Approximately 250 flights were delayed at the airport later in the afternoon, according to FlightAware, a flight disruption tracking website. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it would send a team to Miami, led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, to investigate the incident.
In a statement, Amazon expressed its condolences, stating, "We're heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today's incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss."
Jackson Lee, who operates an electronics shop near the crash site, reported seeing smoke rising near the airport's fences shortly after the incident. "We hear planes taking off and landing every five minutes. I thought I'd got used to it," Lee stated. "I never thought it could come this close to us."