Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Amazon cargo jet that overran a runway at Miami International Airport, as officials work to establish what caused the crash that killed five people.
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said on Monday that the recorders were being transported for examination. She said investigators expected to provide a further update on Tuesday, but cautioned that the precise cause remained unknown.
The Boeing 767, operated by 21 Air as Flight 7598, had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, at about 2pm local time on Sunday when it ran beyond the runway and crossed a road used by workers and businesses near the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the aircraft was a Boeing 767-300 cargo plane. ([faa.gov](https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/statements/accident_incidents?utm_source=openai))
NTSB describes Amazon cargo jet crash scene
Homendy described the crash site as “utter devastation”, pointing to tyre marks leading from the runway into the grass, a destroyed cleaning-company van, damaged airport equipment, torn fencing and a crushed SUV beyond airport property.
She said the aircraft travelled about 1,300ft beyond the end of the runway. The debris field included airbags and parts from the vehicles, the aircraft and airport equipment.
According to the NTSB chairwoman, the five people who died were in a van carrying seven members of a cleaning crew. An SUV outside the airport perimeter was also struck. Three people were critically injured and two others were taken to hospital with less serious injuries, officials said. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/d5118998e880f380a3fd8786e35fd9bb?utm_source=openai))
Investigators will examine the recovered recorders alongside the wreckage, witness accounts, flight-tracking information and airport data. The cockpit voice recorder can capture crew conversations, radio transmissions and sounds in the flight deck, while the flight data recorder stores information including speed, altitude, heading and aircraft systems. ([ntsb.gov](https://www.ntsb.gov/news/Pages/cvr_fdr.aspx?utm_source=openai))
The FAA said the investigation would be led by the relevant aviation authorities, with the NTSB providing further updates. No finding has yet been made about whether the crash involved a mechanical fault, weather, the approach or the aircraft’s landing performance.
The accident caused a major disruption at Miami International Airport. Two of its four runways remained closed on Monday, after 160 flights were cancelled and more than 300 delayed on Sunday. A further 69 cancellations had been recorded by Monday afternoon.
The aircraft had flown from Cincinnati to Miami before continuing to San Juan, then returning to Miami when it overran the runway. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 had originally been built as a passenger aircraft and was later converted for cargo operations, according to the Associated Press. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/d5118998e880f380a3fd8786e35fd9bb?utm_source=openai))
