Flight data recorders recovered from US cargo plane crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the flight data recorders from an Amazon cargo plane that veered off the runway in Miami, colliding with two vehicles and claiming the lives of five individuals, including passengers in the struck vehicles. One of the vehicles involved was an Econoline van carrying seven individuals on airport premises, according to NTSB chief Jennifer Homendy.

The plane then breached a perimeter fence, hitting an SUV on a public road and another fence separating an area with robotaxis. While Ms Homendy did not disclose the pilots' condition, she confirmed that the victims were exclusive to the two struck vehicles. The recovery efforts were ongoing as investigators probed the crash site at Miami's busy airport, causing delays to hundreds of flights.

The NTSB had successfully retrieved both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, which would be analyzed for further investigation. The NTSB prioritized the recovery operation to reunite families with their loved ones, emphasizing the importance of this process. The plane in question was a 1994 Boeing 767 operated by 21 Air LLC, a Miami-based contractor contracted to Amazon.

The aircraft was on its third flight of the day, arriving from San Juan in Puerto Rico. Upon landing, the plane had traveled approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) beyond the runway surface, leaving debris scattered and spilled fuel within the aircraft that needed to be removed. The first struck vehicle, the Econoline van, was severely damaged.