A Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, struck multiple vehicles and caught fire, killing at least five people and injuring five others, according to Miami-Dade County officials and the Associated Press.
The flight, identified as Prime Air Flight 7598 / 21 Air Flight 7598, had departed Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It landed around 2 p.m. local time on runway 30. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported that units found the aircraft on fire with heavy flames and smoke; more than 60 units responded.
Officials stated five people were killed and five injured, three of them critically. Authorities said it was too early to determine whether those killed were on the aircraft or in the vehicles struck on the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate and confirmed the preliminary details of the overrun.
All runways and taxiways were closed and a ground stop was imposed; the airport later partially reopened with delays expected. Amazon confirmed an incident involving a plane operated by 21 Air and said it was gathering details. The 32-year-old aircraft had previously flown as a passenger jet before conversion to cargo configuration.
No cause has been determined.
SOURCES: Associated Press, Reuters, Federal Aviation Administration statements, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and county officials, BBC, The New York Times.
