Five dead after Amazon cargo plane overshoots runway at Miami airport

Five people have died after an Amazon cargo plane overshot the runway at Miami International Airport and crashed into vehicles, bursting into flames. The Boeing 767-300, operating as Amazon Prime Air, was inbound from Puerto Rico when it overran the runway on Sunday afternoon. It crossed a road, hit a van containing seven people, then collided with an SUV before coming to rest near a car park, almost 400 metres from the runway. The aircraft was travelling at nearly 130 miles per hour at the time.

Emergency services responded within seconds, with more than 200 firefighters from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue attending. The fire was described as complex, burning in the engine compartment. Specialist teams shut down the engine and controlled a fuel leak. The pilot and co-pilot were trapped and had to be rescued. Ten people were involved in the crash: five died, three were in critical condition and two were taken to hospital. It is not yet known whether those who died were on the plane or on the ground.

The crash happened at about 1.58pm local time, during the Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest travel periods in the US. All runways at the airport were closed for several hours, with two of four reopened by 5pm. Air traffic control ordered a full air and ground stop, halting arrivals and departures at one of America's busiest hub airports.

The aircraft was operated by 21 Air, a charter company based in North Carolina, which said it was devastated by the accident. Amazon said it was heartbroken to learn of the deaths and was working with investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board has assembled a team to investigate. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered. Officials say it is too early to determine the cause.