(WASHINGTON) — A National Transportation Safety Board investigation is underway after an Amazon Air cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, leaving five people dead and five injured.
Of the five people injured, three remain hospitalized, two of whom are in critical condition and one of whom is in stable condition, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, the Miami-Dade County sheriff, said in a news conference on Tuesday.
The five deceased victims were identified in the news conference as: Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Narajo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierk Reyes Quevedo, 47.
The aircraft’s two pilots were treated and have been released from the hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
At a news conference on Monday, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the Amazon cargo plane hit a van with seven people inside and an SUV when it overran the runway. The van was inside the airport perimeter and the SUV was outside the perimeter, Homendy said.
All of the people who were killed were in the van at the time of the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.
A team of 32 people is currently on site and will be documenting the scene and collecting “perishable evidence” over the week, Homendy said. She described the scene as “devastating.”
“I would describe it in word one word of devastating, utter devastation,” Homendy said. “I mean, you can see, on the paved surface, tire marks that [continue] through the grass. There’s debris everywhere. The Econoline van is torn apart. It is, you know, certainly must have been devastating.”
Homendy said the flight was arriving from Puerto Rico with two crew members onboard and that it was the third trip for the plane that day, having gone from Cincinnati to Miami to San Juan before heading back to Miami.
The accident occurred at 1:53 p.m. ET when the plane, Amazon Air Flight 7598 — a Boeing 767-33 Alpha operated by 21 Air LLC, based in Miami — overran runway 30.
The aircraft collided with a 2012 white Ford Econoline van with seven people inside. The van was owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp., a company that cleans aircraft, according to the briefing.
The plane then went past the airport perimeter fence and hit a Toyota Corolla Cross LE SUV. Homendy said the plane traveled about 1,300 feet past the paved runway surface. Victims from the crash were limited to the two vehicles the plane struck, Homendy said.
Homendy added that there is fuel everywhere that will need to be remediated as well as fuel that is being removed from the plane.
The aircraft’s flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were recovered and are being sent to the NTSB Monday evening to be evaluated, according to Homendy.
The NTSB team will look at several factors during their investigation, including crew training, the company’s procedures, air traffic controllers, pilot and controller transmissions, components of the plane and weather conditions, but will not be determining probable cause while at the scene, Homendy said.
“We can only work to prevent the next [accident or tragedy] if our recommendations at the end of an investigation are implemented,” she said. “If we are in the business of repeatedly investigating an accident or tragedy, and our recommendations are not implemented, then we’re here again and again and again.”
Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Amazon confirmed the incident in separate statements on Sunday evening.
“21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing at Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 6. The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft departed from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico,” the FAA statement said.
“Our deepest sympathies remain with the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating tragedy.” Kelly Nantel, a spokesperson for Amazon, said in an updated statement on Tuesday. “We’ll fully cooperate with [NTSB] and support any other investigating authorities and we’ll also continue to coordinate with 21 Air, which operated the flight. Amazon leaders are also meeting with local officials, first responders, and others in the community to offer our support.”
The CEO of 21 Air said in a statement Sunday night the company is “devastated by the accident involving one of our aircraft in Miami today.”
“Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. Our immediate priorities are supporting those affected, assisting the authorities, and ensuring that accurate information is communicated as it becomes available,” the CEO, Keith Winters, said in a statement. “We are cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities. The circumstances of the accident are under investigation.”
“Our hearts and prayers are with every employee and every family whose lives have been forever changed,” Professional Ocean Service Corp. said in a statement. “We grieve with those who lost a loved one and pray for the healing and recovery of those who were injured.”
Preliminary data from Flightradar24 shows the plane’s speed was approximately 128 mph as it went off the runway.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said Sunday that around 200 personnel responded to the incident and worked quickly to both conduct search and rescue and extinguish flames caused by the crash.
“One person was trapped under one of the involved vehicles and had to be extricated by specialized MDFR technical rescue personnel,” the department said in a statement. “Specialized MDFR hazardous materials (HazMat) units safely shut down the aircraft’s engine and worked to mitigate a fuel leak.”
“There were a total of 10 patients, and MDFR transported five patients by ground. Three were transported to a local trauma center. The other two were assessed and transported to local area hospitals,” the statement added.
A ground stop at Miami International Airport was lifted around three hours after the incident, with two of the four runways now reopened, according to officials.
“Our prayers remain with the families of the five individuals who lost their lives as a result of this tragic incident,” Cordero-Stutz said. “We are also praying for those who were injured and wish them a full and speedy recovery.”
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