MIAMI, September 8 — The mangled fuselage of an Amazon cargo jet still sat near a warehouse parking lot Monday as federal investigators began combing the scene, trying to determine why a Boeing 767-300 operated by 21 Air plowed off a runway at Miami International Airport and into traffic, killing five people. The crash happened Sunday just before 14:00 local time, during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the death toll at an evening news conference, saying rescue crews reached the wreckage within “seconds.” Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the five injured were in critical condition, and that several people trapped inside or under vehicles had to be cut free by fire and rescue teams. More than 200 firefighters responded after the plane burst into flames.
The NTSB, leading the investigation, said it would brief reporters Monday afternoon. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the aircraft was moving at 112 knots—roughly 129 mph—as it exited the “useable runway” and came to rest near a car park serving an Amazon warehouse and other businesses. The plane had earlier departed Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The tracking site noted light thunderstorms and gusting winds in Miami at the time of the landing. Aviation experts quoted by the Associated Press said video of the touchdown will raise a central question: whether the aircraft touched down within its designated runway zone, and if so, what happened afterward.
The FAA temporarily grounded all flights at the airport. Witnesses described a scene that unfolded in seconds. Grace Mercado told CBS News she was in a nearby vehicle and saw “the plane was up in smoke… like something from a movie.” Beth Tilman told the New York Times she saw a black cloud and smelled an acrid odour unlike burning trees or mangroves.
It was not immediately clear whether the dead were aboard the aircraft, on the ground, or both. 21 Air, a North Carolina-based charter company, said in a statement from CEO Keith Winters that it was “devastated by the accident,” with immediate priorities of supporting those affected and assisting authorities.
Amazon’s Kelly Nantel, director of corporate global media relations, said the company was “heartbroken” and confirmed the airplane “was attempting to land when this incident occurred.” By nightfall, travellers inside the airport faced long queues at airline counters, with many flights cancelled or delayed. One passenger, Faroush, told the BBC the earliest flight he could find to San Francisco was Tuesday morning, forcing him to consider a hotel stay in Miami.
The Transportation Safety Administration had projected 17 million travellers during the holiday period. Investigators are expected to examine runway condition, weather, and cockpit data in the coming days, with the NTSB’s first formal briefing scheduled for Monday afternoon.
