Five dead after Amazon cargo plane crashes on US road
At least five people have been reported dead in the US after a cargo plane overshot a major airport runway and crashed on a nearby road, striking multiple vehicles.
Footage seen by 9News shows the plane, which appears to be a Prime Air Boeing 767, billowing with smoke and blasts of flame as it sits on a main road near the airport.
A cargo plane overshot the runway and crashed onto a road at Miami International Airport. Nine
Officials said in a news conference at least five people were dead, according to CNN.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Raied Jadallah also said five others had been injured so far, including three in a critical condition.
Several victims were trapped in the vehicles that were hit by the plane and had to be extricated, Jadallah said.
“Guys, the plane’s on fire. Plane’s on fire. Put your game faces on,” a first responder said in Broadcastify audio.
Responders also said the pilots had been removed from the plane and were being treated.
“Our final patients are the pilots that were removed from the aircraft, so we need to get with them and get them treated,” one first responder said.
There is no apparent threat to public safety at this time, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said during the news conference. The scene is still active as fire rescue crews respond to an ongoing fuel leak.
“21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing at Miami International Airport around 2pm local time on Sunday, September 6 (4am Monday, September 7 AEST),” the US Federal Aviation Administration said in a brief statement
“The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The FAA will investigate.”
All runways and taxiways were closed and a ground stop is in effect, an airport spokesperson said.
The ground stop has since been lifted, but delays will continue overnight and into tomorrow.
Customers with flights out of the airport today are urged to doubled-check with their airline for any schedule changes.
“We can confirm that an Amazon Air plane operated by 21 Air experienced an incident while attempting to land at Miami International Airport today. This is a fast-moving situation and we’re still gathering details,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement to CNN.
“We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened.
“Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved. We’re doing everything we can to support those affected.”
The Prime Air plane is disabled at the north-west end of the airport.
The plane came to rest beside a roadway, with two semi-trucks parked nearby, according to images on social media.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said in a post on X that multiple vehicles had been struck during the crash.
No details of any injuries have been provided. Lynne Sladky
“Units arrived to find an airplane that had caught on fire as a result of this crash, with heavy flames and smoke showing,” the post read.
“Firefighters are working on extinguishing the fire and assessing patients.”
It’s not clear why the plane was unable to stop before the end of the runway.
A review of air traffic control audio by CNN shows the pilots did not declare an emergency before the landing.
Later, inspection crews reported there were no aircraft parts or debris found on the runway, but the plane damaged navigational equipment when it left the pavement.
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