At least five people have died after an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport and struck several vehicles before bursting into flames.
The Boeing 767, operating as 21 Air Flight 7598 on behalf of Amazon Air, came off the runway at about 2pm local time on Sunday, 6 September. The aircraft had flown from San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Miami-Dade authorities said five other people were injured and taken to hospital. Three of those injured were in a critical condition, while two suffered less serious injuries.
The jet crossed the airport boundary and hit vehicles on the ground before coming to a halt. Firefighters battled heavy flames and smoke, while the pilot and co-pilot were trapped in the cockpit before being rescued.
National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the five people who died were travelling in a van carrying seven members of a cleaning company, while an SUV outside airport property was also struck. She did not say where each victim was located.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing at Miami International Airport. The agency said the information remained preliminary as investigators worked to establish what caused the accident.
NTSB investigators arrived at the airport on Monday and recovered the aircraft’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders. The airport warned that runway closures and disruption caused by the crash could continue to affect flights.
Amazon said the aircraft was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier. The investigation into the fatal Miami cargo plane crash is continuing.
