An Amazon Prime Air cargo plane, operating as flight 7598, overran the runway while landing at Miami International Airport on September 6 and struck a vehicle. Five people were killed.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the flight as 21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 wide-body freighter. It had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Amazon brands the cargo service as Prime Air, but it did not fly the aircraft itself. 21 Air, a carrier based in North Carolina, flew the jet under contract. The aircraft carried Amazon livery.
Miami-Dade airport officials said the plane ran off the airport’s diagonal runway.
The aircraft caught fire. Firefighters found heavy flames and smoke, and used foam from the airport’s specialist units to put out an engine compartment fire, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said. Crews were still working to contain a fuel leak from the aircraft afterwards.
Several people were trapped in the vehicles the plane struck, and one had to be cut free. Rescuers also searched for the pilots, who officials said were trapped in the cockpit. More than 60 fire units and about 200 personnel went to the scene.
A runway overrun happens when an aircraft cannot stop before the end of the paved surface. It can occur on landing or during take-off.
The FAA also said it had ordered the airport to temporarily halt takeoffs after the crash.
Amazon said it was working closely with local authorities and that its priority was the care of everyone involved.
“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.”
Five other people were injured. Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three were taken to a trauma centre in a critical condition and two others to a local hospital.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, Boeing said, and the FAA said it would investigate as well. Boeing said the aircraft was delivered as a passenger plane in 1994 and converted to a freighter later.
The FAA said it was too early to know what caused the overrun. The agency said its investigation would continue.
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