AT LEAST 5 DEAD AFTER AMAZON CARGO PLANE CRASHES AT MIAMI AIRPORT

MIAMI — At least five people have died and five others were injured after an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

The Boeing 767-300 freighter, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598, came off the runway shortly before 2 p.m. local time after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The aircraft then struck multiple vehicles on the ground before coming to a stop. Emergency crews rushed to the scene as flames and heavy smoke were reported around the wreckage.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said five people were injured, including three who were in critical condition. At least two people were reportedly trapped inside vehicles struck by the aircraft, while the pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the plane following the crash.

Authorities have not yet publicly identified those who died.

More than 60 emergency units and approximately 200 personnel responded to the airport. Crews also had to deal with a fuel leak from the damaged aircraft.

The crash temporarily brought airport operations to a halt, with all runways initially closed. Two of Miami International Airport’s four runways had reopened by Sunday evening.

The aircraft was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter operated by cargo airline 21 Air on behalf of Amazon. According to Reuters, the plane had originally served as a passenger aircraft before being converted for cargo operations.

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to Miami to investigate what caused the crash. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration also involved.

Officials have not determined a cause, and investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, runway conditions, weather and other factors as they work to reconstruct the final moments of the flight.

Amazon said it was working closely with local authorities and that the safety and well-being of everyone involved was its immediate priority.

The crash is also drawing attention because it is not the first fatal accident involving an Amazon Prime Air-operated Boeing 767. In February 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, operating for Amazon Prime Air, crashed into Trinity Bay in Texas, killing all three people aboard.

For now, the biggest questions remain unanswered: What caused the cargo jet to leave the runway, and why did the crash unfold the way it did?

Those answers will have to wait for investigators as they begin examining the wreckage and evidence from the scene.