At least five people were killed and five others injured after an Amazon cargo aircraft operated by 21 Air overran a runway while landing Sunday at Miami International Airport, prompting a temporary airportwide ground stop and federal investigations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
At least five people died and five others were injured Sunday after an Amazon cargo plane operated by 21 Air overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport, caught fire and triggered a major emergency response that temporarily halted airport operations.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the aircraft was a Boeing 767-300 traveling from Puerto Rico to Florida. The agency said it had “launched a go team” to investigate the crash and planned to hold a media briefing Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said authorities had “issued a full ground stop at Miami International while first responders assess the scene” and warned passengers to “expect significant delays and potential cancellations.”
The FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command imposed the ground stop at about 2:30 p.m. EDT. The restriction lasted approximately three hours before being lifted, and officials subsequently said there was no continuing threat to public safety, according to CBS News.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel found the aircraft burning when they reached the crash scene, CBS News reported. Three injured people were reportedly transported to a local trauma center, while two others were taken to area hospitals.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, chair of the county’s Airport Committee, said local aviation and emergency agencies were coordinating their response as authorities assessed the accident.
“Our priority is the safety and well-being of everyone involved,” Cohen Higgins wrote. “Miami-Dade County, through the Miami-Dade Aviation Department and our emergency response partners, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, is actively working to assess the situation and ensure the appropriate response is underway.”
Amazon later confirmed the fatalities and expressed condolences to those affected by the crash.
“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel stated in an X post Sunday shortly after the accident.
The cargo flight was being operated for Amazon by 21 Air. The company did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Federal investigators will now examine the circumstances surrounding the runway overrun and subsequent fire. The FAA and NTSB are both investigating, with the NTSB’s investigative team dispatched to Miami and additional information expected during Monday’s briefing.
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