Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport, five killed

An Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran the runway while landing at Miami International Airport (MIA) on Sunday, crashing into vehicles on a road behind the runway. At least five people were killed and five others injured, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed.

What happened

The Federal Aviation Administration said Amazon Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft operated by North Carolina-based carrier 21 Air, overran runway 30 after landing around 2 p.m. local time. The plane had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said the crash occurred at 1:58 p.m.

According to flight-tracking site FlightRadar24, the aircraft was travelling at around 112 knots (129 mph, 207 km/h) as it exited the usable runway. Thunderstorms and gusting winds were reported in the Miami area at the time.

The plane came to rest near a parking lot serving an Amazon warehouse, striking several vehicles, including two semi-trucks. NBC6 reported that the aircraft landed on its belly and remained largely intact despite the fire.

Emergency response

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said more than 60 units and roughly 200 firefighters responded. Crews arrived to find the plane engulfed in flames with heavy smoke; the fire, described as "complex," was burning in the engine compartment. Firefighters also rescued a person trapped under a vehicle. Specialist units later shut down the aircraft's engine and worked to contain a fuel leak; officials said there was no risk to the surrounding community.

Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the injured were taken to a trauma centre in critical condition, while two others were hospitalised with less severe injuries. A source with knowledge of the incident told NBC6 that two pilots were taken to Jackson South and three other victims to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Impact on airport operations

MIA temporarily closed all runways and issued a full ground stop; two of its four runways later reopened. The FAA reported roughly six-hour delays for outbound flights, while FlightAware counted about 250 delayed flights. The disruption hit during one of the busiest US travel weekends of the year — ahead of the Labor Day holiday, the TSA had forecast 17 million travellers for the week, including 2.3 million on Sunday alone.

Flightradar24 noted that the crashed aircraft was a 32-year-old Boeing 767, originally built for passenger service and flown by several airlines for over two decades before being converted into a cargo plane in 2015.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are launching investigations into the cause of the crash. Amazon released a statement expressing condolences to the victims' families, confirming the plane was operated by 21 Air and pledging full cooperation with investigators.