Amazon-Branded Cargo Jet Overruns Miami Runway, Killing Five in Vehicles

Five people were killed and five were injured Sunday when a Boeing 767 cargo jet operated by 21 Air for Amazon overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport, NBC News and ABC News reported. The crash happened around 2 p.m. Eastern time on Runway 30, and the aircraft struck vehicles before coming to rest in a field next to the airport.

The plane was 21 Air flight 7598 arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Federal Aviation Administration said, according to NBC. Boeing told NBC it delivered the aircraft as a passenger jet in 1994 and that a third party later converted it to a cargo plane. Amazon, which uses the carrier, said in a statement from spokesperson Kelly Nantel that it was “heartbroken” by the deaths. 21 Air chief executive Keith Winters said the company was “devastated” and is cooperating with federal investigators.

Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said the aircraft struck “a couple of vehicles,” NBC reported. Three of the five injured were in critical condition and were taken to a trauma center, and two went to another hospital, according to the network. The pilot and co-pilot were trapped in the aircraft and required rescue. More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded, NBC said, with crews fighting a fire involving the engine compartments and working to stop an active fuel leak. A technical rescue team worked to free people from vehicles. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said first responders reached the scene quickly.

The airport briefly stopped operations. All runways and taxiways were closed under a ground stop, and by 5 p.m. two of the airport’s four runways had reopened, NBC reported. A ground delay was expected to continue into early Monday. ABC reported that the ground stop lifted about three hours after the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation, and Boeing said it is supporting the probe. The FAA and the safety board will determine the cause, NBC reported. Officials had not described any findings on Sunday.