A deadly plane crash in Miami on Sunday left a trail of “utter devastation,” the National Transportation Safety Board said as it began its investigation into the incident.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told a news conference Monday the plane was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Amazon-contracted Boeing 767-300 overran runway 30 on landing, struck navigational aids and equipment, then struck a 2012 white Ford Econoline owned by Ocean Service Corporation, a contract cleaning company for the airlines. Seven people were in the vehicle.
The aircraft then hit a Toyota Corolla Cross LE before continuing into a grassy field. It then hit another fence that closed off an area where Tesla robotaxies were stationed.
“I would describe it in 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.”
The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered, Homendy added.
The jet, contracted to Amazon and operated by 21 Air as Amazon Air 7598, overran the runway after landing about 1:53 p.m. Sunday.
Miami-Dade County officials said in a news conference Sunday that five people had been killed, with three critically injured and two others hospitalized with less severe injuries.
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“I want to pause for a moment before I continue on and talk about the investigation and extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy, and to the families of those who were, who suffered serious or minor injuries. We can only imagine all that you’re going through,” Homendy said.
“The recovery of victims is most important. The investigation and access to the aircraft, as well as evidence can wait while … the recovery operations go forward.”
Though she would not comment on the health status of individuals, she confirmed the victims of the crash were “limited” to the two vehicles struck by the plane.
Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said some people were trapped inside vehicles. The pilot and copilot were also trapped in the plane. Crews were still dealing with a fuel leak several hours after the crash, Jadallah added.
The crash caused Miami International Airport, a major hub, to issue a complete ground stop, though one runway had been reopened by about 4:50 p.m.
Two runways were reopened as of Monday, Homendy confirmed, but two remain closed and more work is needed before they reopen.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said earlier in the day more than 60 units were on scene of the incident, saying it struck multiple vehicles near the airport.
According to Homendy, a team of 32 investigators will break up into specific areas. They’ll look into various aspects including operations and human performance, the flight’s history, 21 Air LLC policies and procedures, flight crew experience and training, controller-pilot transmissions, and aircraft performance.
They also plan to look at the “lack thereof” of an engineered arresting system, which is found at the end of some runways that safely stops an aircraft.
She said the NTSB will not determine probable cause while on scene.
“We are here to document the scene and to collect the perishable evidence,” Homendy said.
Asked if the investigators have spoken with any crew of the plane or people on the ground, Homendy said she has not connected with the team yet but interviews are not yet underway.
In a statement to Global News on Sunday, Amazon said an Amazon Air plane operated by 21 Air experienced an incident while attempting to land at Miami airport.
The company said Monday it was heartbroken for those who were killed and those injured in the incident.
Homendy said the team has begun collecting investigative information, and she had walked the path from the runway, past the vehicles and to where the aircraft came to rest.
The flight had been operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.
–With files from The Associated Press
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