Amazon Cargo Plane Overruns Runway in US, Leaving at Least 5 Dead

▲ An Amazon cargo plane comes to a stop after overrunning a runway at Miami International Airport (MIA).

An Amazon Prime Air cargo plane operated by the United States e-commerce giant has overshot a runway during landing, leaving at least 5 people dead and 5 others injured.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that at around 2 p.m. on the 6th (local time), a cargo plane landing at Miami International Airport in Florida veered off the runway and struck nearby vehicles.

The accident resulted in 5 fatalities and 3 serious injuries.

Two others sustained relatively minor injuries and were transported to a hospital.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the victims were aboard the cargo plane or in the vehicles struck by the aircraft.

The FAA stated that the Amazon aircraft was a Boeing 767-300 freighter that had departed from San Juan International Airport in Puerto Rico.

The aircraft veered off the runway and collided with two trucks, according to AP and AFP reports citing social media footage captured at the scene.

Following the collision, the aircraft burst into flames, and thick black smoke was seen billowing from the area.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined.

According to the National Weather Service, thunderstorms and gusts of up to 48 km/h were recorded in the area at the time of the accident, though it remains unconfirmed whether weather played a role.

Steve Arroyo, a former United States pilot, explained to the Associated Press that whether the accident aircraft properly touched down on the runway is key to determining the cause.

He noted that if the aircraft landed at the normal touchdown zone, investigators must examine weather or mechanical failure possibilities, whereas if it overshot the touchdown zone, they must verify why the landing was not aborted and a go-around initiated.

Following the accident, all runways at Miami International Airport were closed.

By the evening of the 6th, more than 160 flights had been canceled and 325 flights delayed.

Amazon said in a statement, "We extend our deepest condolences to the families affected by this devastating loss of life," adding that it will cooperate fully with all investigations.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)

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