Amazon Air Cargo Plane Overshoots Runway at Miami Airport, 5 Killed

An Amazon Air cargo plane overshot the runway while attempting to land at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing five people and seriously injuring five others.

The Boeing 767-300, operated by North Carolina-based charter company 21 Air, crashed shortly before 2 pm local time (7 pm GMT) after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aircraft also struck several vehicles on the ground.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed five deaths and said rescue crews reached the site within seconds of the crash. Three of the five injured are in critical condition, according to Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah. Several victims were trapped inside or beneath vehicles and had to be rescued by fire crews.

More than 200 firefighters responded to the crash. The flames were extinguished, though a fuel leak remained at the site.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily grounded flights as emergency crews battled the blaze. The airport said the aircraft had overrun its diagonal runway and came to a stop at the northwest end of the airport.

Officials said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the incident and is expected to hold a news conference on Monday.

Amazon said it was “working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened.”

It remains unclear whether those killed were on board the aircraft, on the ground, or both.