The five people killed Sunday when an Amazon-branded cargo plane overran a runway in Miami International Airport were traveling in a van that was transporting an aircraft cleaning crew and in an SUV that was driving outside the airport, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.
Five others were injured in the crash.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference that the aircraft struck a white Ford van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corporation, a contract cleaning company for airlines, which was inside the airport. Seven people were in the van, she added, but did not comment further about the injuries or deaths.
After that, the plane hit a Toyota SUV that had been driving outside the airport, Homendy said.
She said the primary focus is on the “recovery of the victims.”
“The investigation and access to the aircraft, as well as evidence, can wait while that goes forward,” Homendy told reporters.
She described the scene of the crash as “devastating” and said the van had been “torn apart.”
“You can see on the paved surface tire marks that continue through the grass. There’s debris everywhere,” she said. “The SUV, you can see airbags, the surrounding airbags. You can see components from vehicles, both passenger vehicles and the aircraft itself.”
The Boeing 767-300 aircraft overran the runway during a landing, officials said. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel previously said that the flight was operated by 21 Air.
“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss,” Nantel said in a statement.
Keith Winters, 21 Air’s CEO, said in a message on its website that it is cooperating with federal investigators and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
Two crew members were onboard the aircraft at the time of the crash, Homendy said. Miami-Dade Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said Sunday that the pilot and co-pilot had initially been trapped inside the plane.
A cellphone video obtained by NBC South Florida shows a crew member jumping out of the plane after the crash. A photo sent to NBC News, meanwhile, shows one of the crew members being taken away on a gurney at the airport.
The plane had come from San Juan, Puerto Rico and had completed two prior flights on Sunday, Homendy said. It went from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Miami, and then Miami to San Juan before the crash.
Upon landing back in Miami, the aircraft overran the runway and struck navigational aids and equipment, according to Homendy. The plane then hit the Ford van, traveled through a perimeter fence, and struck the Toyota SUV, which was traveling on Northwest 67th Avenue, she said. The aircraft continued into the grass where it hit a fence line, which separated an area where Tesla robotaxis were stationed, Homendy said.
She added that investigators still have to be “somewhat cautious” as they probe the causes of the crash because of safety concerns on the scene.
“There’s fuel everywhere that will have to be remediated,” she said.
Homendy said it was too early to release much information about the factors that contributed to the disaster, as the investigation has just begun, although she suggested more details could become available on Tuesday. The plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered, she said, and the NTSB will look at air traffic control and aircraft performance as it probes the crash.
The agency’s investigators expect to be on scene for at least a week, she said, and have asked the public to send in photos or videos that are relevant to the investigation.
