At least five people died and five others were injured after an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane veered off the runway upon landing at Miami International Airport and crashed into several vehicles.
A tragic accident shook Miami International Airport (MIA) this Sunday after a cargo plane operated for Amazon Prime Air skidded off the runway during landing, colliding with several ground vehicles and ultimately bursting into flames.
Authorities have confirmed that the incident left at least five people dead, all of Hispanic origin who worked for an airport cleaning company and were traveling in a van, and five injured.
After completing notifications to families, authorities revealed that the deceased men are of Latino origin: Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierquis Reyes Quevedo, 47.
The accident occurred on Sunday, September 6 at 2:00 p.m. (local time). The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 operating as flight 7598 for cargo airline 21 Air, had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
According to initial reports, the plane ran out of “usable runway” while attempting to stop and continued moving at approximately 112 knots (about 129 mph), crossing a nearby road and crashing into several cars before catching fire.
The victims of the tragedy
The Miami-Dade Fire Chief, Raied “Ray” Jadallah, confirmed that five people lost their lives at the scene. The fatalities were in the ground vehicles that were struck by the commercial aircraft.
Additionally, five injured individuals were rushed to hospitals; three are in critical condition at a trauma center, and the other two are receiving care at a local hospital.
Emergency teams reported that both pilots of the aircraft survived after being momentarily trapped in the cockpit.
- Ground impact: The five deceased and five injured individuals were aboard two vehicles that were struck by the Boeing 767 during its destructive path, not inside the plane.
- The cleaning van: The first vehicle hit (which was within the airport premises) was a white 2012 Ford Econoline van. This vehicle belonged to Professional Ocean Service Corporation, a subcontracted company providing cleaning services for airlines. At the time of impact, seven cleaning workers were inside. The NTSB Chair, Jennifer Homendy, described the van as “shattered.”
- The private vehicle (SUV): After destroying the cleaning van, the cargo plane operated by 21 Air breached the airport’s perimeter fence and crashed into a Toyota Corolla Cross traveling on Northwest 67th Avenue, outside the airport property.
- Condition of the injured: Of the five injured, three were transported in critical condition to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial. The other two victims suffered less severe injuries and are being treated at the same hospital complex.
At this time, authorities have not released the names of the deceased to allow time to notify all families.
It was also confirmed that the two crew members of the plane (pilot and co-pilot) survived with minor injuries, managed to communicate by phone shortly after the accident, and were rescued by firefighters.
Emergency response and investigations
The impact triggered a massive fire that sent a thick plume of black smoke into the air, prompting airport authorities to issue a ground stop and temporarily close all runways, disrupting flight operations ahead of the Labor Day holiday.
More than 60 units from the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) responded to the emergency to extinguish the flames and rescue people trapped in their vehicles.
Kelly Nantel, a spokesperson for Amazon, issued a statement expressing the company’s condolences: “We are 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.” Nantel assured that the company is fully cooperating with local authorities.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have taken control of the scene to conduct the relevant investigations.
Investigators will focus on analyzing weather conditions, communications with the control tower, and the mechanical condition of the Boeing 767 to determine the exact causes of why the plane failed to stop in time.
