An Amazon cargo plane veered off a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals as it collided with vehicles and caught fire, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. ET following the plane’s arrival from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Miami-Dade County officials reported that five people lost their lives, with three sustaining critical injuries and two others hospitalized with less severe injuries.
It remains unclear whether the fatalities were passengers on the plane or individuals in the vehicles struck by the aircraft, as stated by Miami officials on Sunday afternoon. The crash, which emitted thick black smoke into the air, trapped the pilot, copilot, and some occupants in cars, according to Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. A person was also found trapped beneath a vehicle at the scene.
The accident led to a temporary suspension of flights at the airport, with fire crews working to contain a fuel leak on the plane hours after the crash. Over 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene, where the Prime Air plane came to a halt near two semi-trucks, appearing relatively intact despite the fire.
The flight was operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina, using a 32-year-old Boeing 767 initially designed for passenger flights before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015. Approximately 250 flights experienced delays at the airport on Sunday evening due to the incident, according to FlightAware. The National Transportation Safety Board announced the dispatch of a team, led by Chair Jennifer Homendy, to investigate the crash.
Amazon expressed its condolences for the lives lost in a statement, promising full cooperation with the investigation. The company pledged support for the affected families, expressing deep sympathy for the tragic loss. Nearby witnesses, like Jackson Lee from an electronics store in the vicinity, recounted observing smoke rising near the airport after the crash, highlighting the unexpected proximity of the incident.