Five killed as Amazon plane overruns runway, hitting vehicles and bursting into flames

Miami: An Amazon cargo plane barrelled off a runway at Miami International Airport, killing at least five people as it struck vehicles and burst into flames, authorities said.

Three others were critically injured and two others taken to hospital with less severe injuries, Miami-Dade County officials told a news conference.

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.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft overran the runway about 2pm on Sunday (Florida time) after heading into Florida 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 – one of America’s busiest airports – as emergency crews responded.

The Prime Air plane came to rest beside a roadway, with two trucks parked nearby, according to images on social media. The aircraft appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire.

Amazon confirmed that one of its planes – operated by US cargo carrier 21 Air – experienced an incident when it attempted to land in Miami.

“We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson said in a post on X. “Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved.”

Representatives for 21 Air, which began operating Boeing 767-300 freighters on behalf of Amazon in 2024, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The 32-year-old plane 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 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.

“We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a social media post. “Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved.”

AP, Bloomberg

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