Amazon cargo plane hit van carrying 7 workers after runway overrun, killing 5

The Amazon cargo plane that overshot the runway at Miami International Airport Sunday hit a white Ford van carrying seven cleaning company employees, killing five of them.

The van was “torn apart” by the aircraft, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said Monday.

Amazon Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 cargo plane, had two crew members on board and was arriving from Puerto Rico on Sunday. It was traveling at 129 mph when it overshot the end of the runway at Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. ET, killing five people and injuring five others.

Federal investigators are examining the crash to determine whether the plane touched down too late to stop safely, after the plane ended up around 1,300 feet (396 meters) past the paved surface, AP News reported.

The aircraft hurtled across a small grassy patch, then through a chain-link fence with razor wire, heading for a four-lane road before coming to a halt near a parking lot where Tesla robotaxis were stationed, CNN reported.

In the process, the aircraft hit several vehicles as well as the cleaning van, crushing a Toyota SUV outside airport property as well as trapping bystanders in their cars, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a press conference Monday evening.

Homendy said data from the flight, including the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder, known as the black box, have been recovered, but the federal investigator said their priority was to recover the bodies of those killed.

“I would describe it in one word as devastating,” Homendy said of the crash.

Homendy walked the route the Boeing 767 followed, noting tire marks from the pavement into the grass, the destroyed van carrying the cleaning crew, torn fencing and navigational equipment. The debris included vehicle airbags, equipment from the vehicles, the airplane and the airport, and “fencing everywhere,” Homendy said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said Sunday crews on the ground worked to tackle a fuel leak from the aircraft, while local news outlets reported that more than 60 MDFR units had attended the scene.

Of the five people who were injured, three were reported to be in critical condition and were taken to a local hospital, Jadallah said.

Passengers flying out of Miami at the end of the Labor Day weekend were warned to expect significant delays and cancellations following the incident.

What happened?

21 Air Flight 2I7598 (a Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft) departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico bound for Miami. On arrival at 1:54 p.m. ET, it overran the runway, hitting several vehicles before coming to a stop.

Shortly afterward, at 2:02 p.m. ET, the FAA issued a ground stop at Miami International Airport.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue dispatched 60 emergency response units to the scene, where five people were found dead and another five injured.

In an audio recording of an emergency radio dispatch from the scene, crew members can be heard shouting: “The plane is on fire. The plane is on fire. Put your game face on guys.”

Three people, who were reported to be in critical condition, were transferred to local hospitals for treatment.

The FAA has announced an investigation into the crash.

In a statement, Amazon said: “We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.

“The airplane, which was operated by 21 Air, was attempting to land when this incident occurred. We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to learn more and will cooperate fully with any investigation.”

What could have caused the crash?

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash, but aviation experts have suggested several theories as to why the plane overshot the runway.

Steve Arroyo, an aviation expert and former United Airlines pilot, said investigators were likely to consider whether the plane was in the “landing zone” covering the first 3,000 feet (914 meters) of the runway.

“Did the aircraft land within the required touchdown zone? If it did, what happened? Was it weather-related or mechanical-related?” Arroyo told ABC News. “If it did land beyond the touchdown zone, why didn’t it go around? That is a standing practice around the world.”

Investigators will also consider whether the local weather may have played a role. According to FlightRadar24, there were thunderstorms and winds of 17 knots, gusting to 26 knots, around the time of the crash.

Aviation expert Mary Schiavo, a former pilot and Transportation Department inspector general, said a potential tailwind could have pushed the plane farther along the runway.

“A tailwind would certainly add to your troubles if you’ve already given up a good chunk of the runway by not touching down and landing right away,” Schiavo told AP.

Questions have also been raised about Miami International Airport’s lack of arresting systems, safety mechanisms made of lightweight crushable materials that are designed to slow planes that overshoot runways.

The FAA has credited the systems, which are in place at 120 airports nationwide, with saving at least 497 lives.

Attorney Pablo Rojas, who works for a law firm that represents plane crash victims, told the Miami Herald he had concerns about the plane’s landing gear.

“You can see it stops in this parking lot area, with the landing gear collapsed,” he said.

“The nose is kind of dipping down. We don’t know if that’s something that happened late in the accident sequence or early enough to have caused the accident sequence.”

What happens next?

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause of the crash, while her office will separately investigate the five deaths.

The NTSB will lead the investigation, supported by the FAA. A 32-person team will be on site for at least the next week, with another news conference scheduled for Tuesday 4 p.m. ET.

“Know that we are deeply, deeply committed to our duty, our responsibilities as an investigative agency to determine how this accident occurred, why it happened, with one goal in mind: safety,” Homendy said in the press conference Monday. “And that’s to prevent it from happening again.”

In a statement, 21 Air, the plane’s operator, said: “Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. Our immediate priorities are supporting those affected, assisting the authorities, and ensuring that accurate information is communicated as it becomes available.

“We are cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities. The circumstances of the accident are under investigation.”