Five Dead After Amazon Cargo Plane Crashes at Miami Airport

Five people have died and five others have been seriously injured after an Amazon Air cargo plane crashed while attempting to land at Miami International Airport in the United States.

The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft overshot the runway shortly before 14:00 local time on Sunday after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The plane also struck several vehicles on the ground, prompting a major emergency response.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed that five people were killed and five others injured. She said rescue crews arrived at the crash site within seconds and immediately began helping those affected.

Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the injured people were in critical condition. Several victims were trapped inside or underneath vehicles and had to be freed by firefighters and rescue workers before being taken to hospital.

More than 200 firefighters responded to the incident after the aircraft caught fire. Heavy flames and smoke were reported at the scene before firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze. However, officials said a fuel leak remained at the crash site.

The aircraft was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based charter company, on behalf of Amazon. Miami International Airport said the aircraft overran the airport’s diagonal runway and came to rest at the northwest end of the airport.

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and is expected to hold a news conference on Monday. Investigators will examine the aircraft, weather conditions, runway and other circumstances surrounding the accident.

Flight tracking data indicated that the aircraft was travelling at about 112 knots, equivalent to approximately 129 miles per hour, when it exited the usable runway. FlightRadar24 also reported light thunderstorms and gusting winds in the Miami area around the time of the crash.

Amazon expressed condolences to the victims and their families, saying it was working closely with local authorities and would fully cooperate with the investigation.

The crash also caused significant disruption at Miami International Airport during one of the busiest travel periods in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flights to be grounded while emergency crews responded to the incident.

Passengers reported long lines at airline counters as flights were cancelled or delayed. Some travellers said they had been forced to change their plans and remain in Miami for an additional night.

The Transportation Security Administration had expected about 17 million travellers to pass through US airports during the week leading up to the Labor Day holiday, with approximately 2.3 million passengers expected to fly on Sunday alone.

Miami International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, particularly for international freight and travel to Latin America and the Caribbean. The deadly crash has therefore created major operational challenges while investigators work to establish what went wrong.