At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, local officials said. Three of those injured were in critical condition.
Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the airport’s diagonal runway shortly before 2 p.m. EDT and struck multiple vehicles on the ground, officials said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
The crash sent thick black smoke into the sky and prompted a major emergency response at the airport. The pilot and copilot were trapped in the cockpit, while several people in vehicles struck by the plane also required rescue. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said one person was trapped beneath a vehicle.
Authorities said it was too early to determine whether the five people who died were aboard the aircraft or on the ground in the vehicles that were struck.
Fire crews continued working to contain a fuel leak from the aircraft several hours after the crash, Jadallah said.
The crash initially prompted the closure of all runways and taxiways at the airport, disrupting flights for much of the afternoon. About 250 flights were delayed later Sunday, according to FlightAware. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed traffic restrictions and warned travelers to expect significant delays and possible cancellations.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said passengers should “expect significant delays and potential cancellations” following the incident.
Amazon and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department confirmed that an incident occurred as the aircraft was attempting to land. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported that multiple patients were being treated following the crash.
The aircraft was a Boeing 767-300 that had departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the FAA. Cargo airline 21 Air operated the aircraft on behalf of Amazon, an Amazon spokesperson said.
The plane came to rest near a roadway and two semi-trucks. Reuters photographs taken after the crash showed the jet resting on its belly with its nose on the ground and its tail raised into the air. Scorch marks were visible on the aircraft’s right side.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company was still gathering information about the incident and was working with local authorities to determine what happened.
“Our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved,” Nantel said in a statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to Miami to investigate the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident.
