Amazon Boeing 767 Cargo Plane Crashes At Miami Airport, Five Dead And Five Injured

At least five people were killed and five others injured after an Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 cargo plane overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, September 6, striking multiple vehicles and catching fire.

Prime Air Flight 7598, a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter operated by 21 Air, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it ran beyond Miami airport’s diagonal Runway 30 shortly before 2 p.m. local time. The aircraft crossed a road outside the airport and struck several vehicles before coming to rest and bursting into flames.

Miami-Dade officials said five people died and five were injured, with three of the injured in critical condition and two others hospitalized with less serious injuries. Authorities initially said it was unclear whether the fatalities involved people aboard the aircraft or those on the ground.

The crash trapped the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit, while several people were also trapped inside vehicles. Rescue crews had to free one person who was pinned beneath a vehicle. More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units and about 200 personnel responded, battling heavy flames and smoke and dealing with a fuel leak.

The aircraft was travelling at about 112 knots, or 129 mph (207 kmph), when it left the usable portion of the runway, according to Flightradar24 data. The cause of the runway overrun has not been determined.

Investigators are examining whether the aircraft touched down too far along the runway, as well as possible effects from wind and runway conditions. Experts have also pointed to the possibility of a tailwind contributing to the aircraft travelling farther before stopping. These remain investigative possibilities and no cause has been established.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to Miami, while the Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating. Boeing and 21 Air have said they will support the probe.

The crash forced a temporary ground stop at Miami International Airport, with all runways and taxiways closed during the emergency response. Two of the airport’s four runways later reopened. More than 160 flights were cancelled and nearly 325 delayed, according to FlightAware, while some flights were diverted to Orlando.

Amazon expressed condolences to the victims and said it would cooperate fully with authorities. The investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing.