Five people died and five were injured when an Amazon cargo plane overshot the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday shortly after landing from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Boeing 767-300, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598, crashed into multiple vehicles, trapping victims inside, and caught fire. Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Ray Jadallah confirmed that three of the injured were taken to trauma centers in critical condition while two others received treatment at a local hospital. A technical rescue team extracted both the pilot and co-pilot from the aircraft, though their survival status was not disclosed.
The crash occurred at 1:58 pm (1758 GMT), triggering a major emergency response involving nearly 200 firefighters and 60 fire apparatuses. Fire officials used foam to extinguish flames in the engine compartment and HazMat units secured the site by shutting down the aircraft's engine and containing a fuel leak. One person was trapped under a vehicle and required specialized extraction. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched a go team to investigate the runway excursion, while the FAA will determine the cause. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel expressed heartbreak over the loss of life and pledged full cooperation with investigators. Miami Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz described the scene as tragic but confirmed no ongoing threat to public safety. All runways were closed initially, but two of the airport's four reopened later Sunday. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava praised first responders for arriving within seconds of the crash.
The failure to confirm whether the pilot and co-pilot survived, despite detailed updates on ground victims, creates an information gap about crew accountability. When the NTSB releases its findings, the role of human error or mechanical failure could influence aviation safety protocols for cargo flights operating under similar conditions. This incident may prompt scrutiny of runway safety zones at busy international airports handling large freight operations.
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