Investigation Underway After Cargo Plane Crash at Miami Airport

MIAMI (AP) — Federal investigators are detailing their plans for determining the cause of an Amazon cargo jet crash at Miami International Airport that resulted in at least five fatalities and five injuries. The aircraft overran the runway around 2 p.m. on Sunday after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and struck vehicles, leading to a fire. Five individuals were killed, three were critically injured, and two others were hospitalized with less severe injuries, according to officials. It remains unclear if the pilots survived or if all the deceased were in vehicles at the time of the crash. Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah reported that the crash trapped the pilot and copilot in the cockpit and some occupants in cars. Crews had to extricate a person trapped under a vehicle. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy would hold a news conference on Monday. Investigators are likely to consider whether the plane landed too far down the runway, as the typical landing zone is within the first 3,000 feet (914 meters). Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo indicated that if the plane was beyond that area, it should have aborted the landing and attempted again. Mary Schiavo, a pilot and former Inspector General of the Transportation Department, noted that video evidence shows the Amazon plane floating above the runway for an extended period without properly landing. Although it was not raining, dark storm clouds and strong winds were reported at the time. Schiavo suggested that a tailwind could have contributed to the plane's extended float. The Miami airport lacks arresting systems, which the FAA has installed at over 120 airports nationwide to safely stop planes that overrun runways. The crash halted flights at the airport for much of the afternoon, with about 200 emergency personnel responding to the scene. Firefighters used foam from specialized airport firefighting units to extinguish the fire, and crews continued to address a fuel leak hours later. The Prime Air plane, operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier, came to rest beside a roadway near two semitrucks. The Boeing 767, originally built for passenger service, was converted to a cargo plane in 2015. The NTSB will examine the maintenance history of the aircraft, particularly given its previous foreign ownership, including by a Russian company. By late Sunday, more than 160 flights were canceled and nearly 325 delayed, according to FlightAware. Some flights were diverted to Orlando International Airport, located over 200 miles (320 km) north of Miami. Amazon expressed its condolences in a statement, 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." Last year, a UPS plane crash at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport resulted in the deaths of all three pilots and 12 individuals on the ground, with 23 others injured.