Flight recorders recovered after fatal Amazon cargo crash in Miami
The NTSB says five people died and five were seriously injured after an Amazon cargo aircraft operated by 21 Air overran a runway at Miami International Airport.
Investigators have recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from an Amazon cargo Boeing 767-300 that overran a runway at Miami International Airport, killing five people and seriously injuring five others.
The aircraft, operated by 21 Air, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on its third flight of the day when it left the runway shortly before 14:00 local time on Sunday. It struck airport equipment, a Ford van carrying seven people and a Toyota Corolla carrying three passengers, coming to rest about 394 metres beyond the runway.
National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said victim recovery remained the immediate priority and that investigators were still in the fact-finding stage. The recorders will be sent to the NTSB’s headquarters for evaluation.
The investigation will examine the aircraft’s flight history, crew experience and training, radar data, systems, engines and performance, along with weather conditions. Investigators will also assess whether the runway should have had an engineered materials arresting system, designed to slow aircraft that overrun it.
BBC Verify reported an active thunderstorm near the airport before the crash, with wind gusts of up to 26 knots. The NTSB has not established whether weather, aircraft performance, crew actions or airport infrastructure contributed to the overrun.
Two of Miami International Airport’s four runways remained closed, with further disruption expected. Amazon and 21 Air said they were co-operating with authorities and expressed condolences.
