An Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing at least five people and injuring five others, authorities said. The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 operating as Flight 7598 and operated by cargo carrier 21 Air, had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it ran off the runway shortly before 2 p.m. local time, striking vehicles and bursting into flames.
Miami-Dade County officials said five people were killed, three critically injured and two others hospitalized with less severe injuries. Officials said it was too soon to determine whether those who died were on board the aircraft or in vehicles that were struck.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said the crash trapped the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit and some occupants in cars. The agency said crews also had to extricate a person who was pinned beneath a vehicle.
The aircraft plowed across a road used by warehouse workers and other businesses surrounding the airport before coming to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trucks. Images showed the plane largely intact but resting on its belly, with thick black smoke and flames rising from the scene.
The crash halted flights at the busy travel hub for much of the afternoon. Around 200 emergency personnel responded, with more than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units. Firefighters used foam from specialized airport firefighting units to extinguish the fire, and crews were still dealing with a fuel leak hours later.
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined, and it was not clear if weather played a role. Thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 30 mph (48 kph) were recorded in the area at the time, according to the National Weather Service.
The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to cargo service in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.
Amazon said it would cooperate with any investigation and expressed condolences. Aviation experts noted that the plane appeared to float above the runway for an extended period before touching down. Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general of the Transportation Department, said video of the landing seemed to show the aircraft floating and losing critical distance. Former United Airlines pilot Steve Arroyo said investigators would need to establish whether the plane touched down within the designated landing zone.
Flights were diverted to Orlando International Airport, and more than 160 flights were cancelled and nearly 325 delayed by late in the day, according to reports.
The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to lead the investigation.