An Amazon cargo plane overshot the runway at Miami International Airport and crashed into several vehicles, killing five people. The moment of the accident was captured in a video published on social media.
The flight was operated with a Boeing 767-300, an aircraft built in 1994, according to Cirium data. It had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was bound for Miami.
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In addition to the fatalities, five people were injured, three of whom are in critical condition.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Hannah Walden, a spokeswoman for the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said that the runways at Miami International Airport do not have an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS).
The system consists of crushable concrete material designed to bring aircraft that overrun the end of a runway to a controlled stop.
The New York Times reports that the FAA has advised airports for years to install EMAS; however, implementing the recommendation is not mandatory. To reduce the risk of runway overruns, airports can also use other solutions approved by the FAA.
Another video shared online shows the Boeing 767-300 landing. In the footage, the aircraft’s right rear wheel appears not to make contact with the runway surface. This has prompted discussion about the speed at which the plane approached the runway, but the official cause of the accident has not yet been determined.
Amazon Air’s second serious accident
For Amazon Air, the Miami incident marks the second serious accident since the airline was established.
In February 2019, a cargo plane traveling from Miami to Houston crashed in a marshy area of Texas. All three people on board were killed. The investigation concluded that the accident was linked to human error, after the copilot became disoriented during the flight and put the plane into a steep descent.
Amazon Air is an important link in Amazon’s international distribution network. The airline operates more than 250 flights every day and has around 100 leased aircraft that transport packages between dozens of airports in Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.
The company was established in 2015 under the name “Prime Air,” while in 2017 it was renamed “Amazon Air.” The change was made to distinguish it from Amazon’s autonomous drone delivery service, which continues to be called “Prime Air.”
Sunday’s accident also refocused attention on another tragedy that occurred at Miami International Airport.
In August 1997, a cargo plane operated by Fine Air crashed during takeoff. The aircraft slid into an open area and ended up crossing a busy highway. As a result, five people were killed, including a motorist.
