Five Dead After Amazon Cargo Plane Crashes and Overruns Runway at Miami International Airport

Five people have died and five others were injured after an Amazon Air cargo plane crashed while attempting to land at Miami International Airport in the United States.

The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft crashed shortly before 2:00 p.m. local time, after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The aircraft overran the airport's diagonal runway and came to rest near the northwest end of the airport, according to airport officials.

Plane Hit Vehicles After Leaving Runway

The cargo aircraft, operated by North Carolina-based charter company 21 Air, went beyond the usable section of the runway during its landing attempt.

The crash also involved several vehicles on the ground.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed that five people were killed and five others injured.

Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the injured people were in critical condition.

Some of the injured were trapped inside or underneath vehicles and had to be rescued by fire and emergency crews.

More Than 200 Firefighters Respond

Emergency crews arrived at the crash site within seconds, according to the Miami-Dade mayor.

More than 200 firefighters responded as heavy flames and smoke rose from the aircraft.

Fire crews eventually extinguished the blaze, although officials said a fuel leak remained at the site.

The airport was placed under major operational disruption following the crash, with flights cancelled or delayed as authorities responded to the incident.

Cause of Crash Not Yet Known

Officials have not determined what caused the aircraft to overrun the runway.

The crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the federal agency responsible for investigating major aviation accidents in the United States.

The NTSB is expected to provide further information as investigators examine the aircraft, runway conditions, weather and flight data.

Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft was travelling at about 112 knots (129 mph / 207 km/h) when it passed the usable runway area.

There were light thunderstorms and gusty winds in the Miami area around the time of the crash, according to FlightRadar24, although officials have not linked those conditions to the accident.

Amazon Expresses Condolences

Amazon said it was working closely with local authorities to understand what happened and would cooperate fully with the investigation.

The company expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died.

The aircraft was operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air.

Major Disruption During Busy US Travel Weekend

The crash occurred during the Labor Day holiday weekend, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States.

Miami International Airport is one of the country's busiest airports and a major international gateway, particularly for travel between the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Passengers at the airport reported long lines and uncertainty as airlines dealt with cancellations and delays following the incident.

The Transportation Security Administration had expected millions of people to travel through US airports during the holiday period, adding to the disruption caused by the crash.