Cargo Boeing overruns runway at Miami Airport: at least five dead
The plane was flying from Puerto Rico.
At least five people have died after a cargo plane operating a flight on behalf of Amazon overran the runway at Miami International Airport, local authorities reported, writes the BBC.
"We can confirm that at least five people have died," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at a press conference. According to her, several people were taken to local hospitals with injuries.
Miami Fire Chief Raed Jadallah later clarified that five people were injured, three of whom are in critical condition.
The plane, belonging to the airline 21 Air and arriving from Puerto Rico, overran the runway during landing and crashed into cars in a parking lot in front of a large logistics complex, which is used, among others, by Amazon.
A fire broke out at the scene, and some victims were reportedly trapped inside the cars that the plane crashed into.
The Boeing 767-300 was operating flight 7598 from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico.
"We can confirm that an Amazon Air aircraft, operated by 21 Air, was involved in an incident today while attempting to land at Miami International Airport," said Kelly Nantel, Amazon's head of media relations.
"The situation is rapidly evolving, and we are still gathering information. We are working closely with local authorities and officials to determine exactly what happened," she added.
According to open sources, the Boeing 767-33AER aircraft with registration number N1997A was manufactured in 1994.
It was initially delivered to the Belgian carrier Sobelair and converted into a cargo plane in 2016.
The plane was supposed to land on Miami Airport's runway 30, which is 2,853 meters long. The airport has a total of four runways.
According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft was moving at a speed of 112 knots – approximately 207 km/h – at the moment it overran the runway.
After the incident, the airport was closed, resulting in many flights being delayed or canceled. It later resumed operations but warned passengers of possible delays.
"Currently, two of our four runways are open, however, the impact of this incident continues to affect airport operations. Passengers [...] are advised to check the status of their flight directly with their airline before traveling to the airport," the airport's website states.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it is investigating the crash and has already dispatched its specialists to the scene.
Miami International Airport, opened almost 100 years ago in 1928, is not only one of the largest aviation hubs in the U.S. and the world by passenger traffic, but also by cargo volume.
Miami is one of the main hubs through which passengers travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries.
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