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Nose on ground, tail up: Videos show moment Amazon cargo plane crashed at Miami airport
Amazon Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the Miami airport's diagonal runway shortly before 2 pm EDT (6 pm GMT) on Sunday, leaving five people dead.
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Five people died in a freak Amazon Prime Air cargo plane's crash at the Miami International Airport on Sunday (local time), with the aircraft overrunning the runway, crashing into multiple vehicles and catching fire.
Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the airport's diagonal runway shortly before 2 pm EDT (6 pm GMT), prompting a response by over 60 rescue units and about 200 personnel.
The fatalities were people trapped in the vehicles the airplane struck on crashing, according to authorities.
Deep Dive
While five people died, as many were also injured in the crash, including three who are in critical condition, a Reuters report quoted Miami-Dade fire chief Ray Jadallah as saying. At least two people were trapped in vehicles that were struck by the plane, and the pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the plane by the crash, Jadallah said.
"The airplane did strike a couple of vehicles," which left "a couple of victims that were actually trapped in the vehicles," Jadallah said.
Visuals of crash
Photos and videos that surfaced after the crash showed the jet crashing with its nose on the ground and tail tilted up. The right side of the plane appeared to have scorch marks.
According to Flightradar24 data, the plane was traveling at 112 knots (129 mph) when it exited the usable runway.
Cargo airline 21 Air operated the plane for Amazon, an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.
"We are devastated by the accident involving one of our aircraft in Miami today," 21 Air said on its website. “Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company is still gathering details about what happened.
“We can confirm that an Amazon Air plane operated by 21 Air experienced an incident while attempting to land at Miami International Airport today. This is a fast-moving situation and we're still gathering details. We're working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened. Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved. We're doing everything we can to support those affected,” Amazon News X handle posted, citing Nantel.
Boeing and 21 Air said they would support the government investigations into the crash.
Sunday's incident is not the first time fatal crash involving an Amazon Prime Air plane. In February 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a Boeing 767-300 freighter operating on behalf of Amazon Prime Air from Miami to Houston, entered a rapid descent and crashed into Trinity Bay, Texas, leaving all three people on board dead.
