Amazon cargo plane overshoots runway at Miami airport, killing five
A Boeing 767 operated by 21 Air crashed while landing in Miami on Sunday afternoon, killing five people and injuring five others after striking multiple ground vehicles.
What happened
An Amazon Air cargo plane (Boeing 767-300) operated by charter company 21 Air overshot the diagonal runway while attempting to land at Miami International Airport on Sunday, September 6, around 2 p.m. local time, after departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aircraft struck several vehicles on the ground and came to rest near a parking lot servicing an Amazon warehouse. Five people were killed and five injured, with three in critical condition. The pilot and copilot were trapped in the cockpit. The plane erupted in flames; over 200 firefighters responded and extinguished the fire, though a fuel leak continued hours after the crash. Flight data showed the aircraft was traveling at 112 knots as it exited the useable runway; light thunderstorms and gusting winds were present at the time.
Context
The crash brought operations at Miami International Airport, one of the busiest in the US and according to the airport's own website America's busiest for international freight, to a halt. All runways and taxiways were closed and a ground stop issued, resulting in approximately 250 flight delays late Sunday. The incident occurred during Labor Day weekend, one of the year's busiest travel periods, with 2.3 million people predicted to fly on Sunday alone across US airports. The National Transportation Safety Board has assembled a team to investigate; the FAA indicated it will also investigate. Amazon is cooperating with authorities and expressed condolences to victims' families.