The cargo plane left the runway and smashed into cars
At least five people are dead after an Amazon cargo plane barrelled off a Miami airport runway and smashed into cars, a sheriff said on Sunday.
The plane struck vehicles, bursting into flames and sending thick black smoke into the sky in a crash that shut down flights at one of the nation’s busiest airports.
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the crash, arriving to find the aircraft on fire as crews worked to extinguish the flames and assess patients.
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The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft overran the runway around 2pm after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said the plane struck multiple vehicles after leaving the runway.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA was sending investigators and issued a full ground stop at Miami International as emergency crews responded.
The Prime Air plane came to rest beside a road near two semi-trucks, according to images from the scene. The aircraft appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire.
The flight had been operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina.
The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.
All runways and taxiways were closed, an airport spokesperson said. About 250 flights were delayed at the airport as of late afternoon on Sunday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.
The FAA warned that delays were likely to persist even after the airport reopened, with arrivals and departures expected to resume at a reduced rate.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering information about the crash.
An Amazon spokesperson said: “”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. 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.”
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