Five dead as Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport

An Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crashed while attempting to land at Miami International Airport on Sunday, resulting in at least five fatalities and five injuries, according to officials. The Boeing 767-300 aircraft, operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon, departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Just before 2pm local time, the plane ran off the airport's diagonal runway and struck several vehicles on the ground.

Three individuals sustained critical injuries, and two others were trapped inside vehicles that were hit by the aircraft. The pilot and co-pilot remained trapped inside the wreckage. Miami-Dade fire officials reported over 60 rescue units and approximately 200 emergency personnel responding to the crash scene, where an active fuel leak was still being addressed.

The airport temporarily suspended all flights following the incident, but two of its four runways were operational by Sunday evening. The aircraft, a 32-year-old freighter, had been previously used for passenger flights by various airlines before being converted to a freighter. Upon landing, the jet was traveling at 207km/h and was found with its nose touching the ground and tail elevated, with scorch marks visible on its right side.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel emphasized that the company's top priority was the safety, well-being, and care of all those involved. The National Transportation Safety Board, led by chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, has taken charge of the investigation, with Boeing and 21 Air committed to cooperating. This crash marks the latest fatal accident involving an aircraft operating for Amazon Prime Air; in February 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, another Boeing 767-300 freighter carrying Amazon cargo, crashed into Trinity Bay, Texas, killing all three people on board.