Five people were killed and five others were injured Sunday when an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport, struck vehicles on a road outside the airport fence and burst into flames, Miami-Dade County officials said.
The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 operating as Prime Air Flight 7598, ran off Runway 30 at 1:58 p.m., Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said at an evening news conference. It had flown in from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the flight was operated by 21 Air, a contract carrier that flies for Amazon.
Officials said it was too early to determine whether those killed were aboard the plane or in the vehicles it hit. Three of the injured were taken to a trauma center in critical condition and two others were taken to a local hospital, Miami-Dade Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said. Rescuers had to cut several people out of cars. One person was trapped under a vehicle. The pilot and copilot were pinned in the cockpit and were pulled out by crews.
The wreckage came to rest in a field beyond the airport's operational boundary, near the 2100 block of Northwest 42nd Avenue. More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said rescue teams reached the scene within seconds of the crash. Video from the scene showed heavy smoke billowing from the wreckage.
CNN reported that tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the plane was still moving at close to 130 mph when it left the usable portion of the runway, and that a review of air traffic control audio found the pilots had not declared an emergency before landing.
The FAA's command center ordered a ground stop at Miami International at about 2:30 p.m., and all runways and taxiways were shut. Two of the four runways had reopened by late afternoon, according to NBC News, though the airport warned travelers to expect delays and cancellations into the night.
"We're heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives," Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement, adding that the company would cooperate fully with any investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a team to Miami led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. The county has opened a hotline for relatives of people who may have been caught in the crash. Casualty figures were current as of Sunday evening.