The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has successfully retrieved the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from a Boeing 767-300 cargo plane that crashed at Miami International Airport on Sunday. The aircraft, operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon, overshot the runway shortly before 14:00 local time, resulting in five fatalities and five serious injuries.
According to NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, the plane was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it struck navigational equipment, a white Ford van belonging to a cleaning contractor, and a Toyota Corolla before coming to a stop approximately 1,300 feet past the runway. The van was carrying seven people, while the Toyota contained three passengers.
Homendy described the crash site as "devastating" and emphasized that the immediate focus remains on the recovery of victims rather than the technical investigation. "The investigation and access to the aircraft, as well as evidence, can wait," she stated during a press conference on Monday.
While the cause of the incident remains under investigation, the NTSB plans to analyze factors including crew training, radar data, aircraft performance, and weather conditions. BBC Verify noted that a thunderstorm with wind gusts reaching 26 knots was active near the airport around the time of the crash. Additionally, the NTSB will evaluate whether the installation of an engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) could have mitigated the outcome.
Both Amazon and 21 Air have expressed their condolences and confirmed they are cooperating with authorities. The airport continues to experience operational disruptions, with two runways remaining closed as the investigation proceeds. The NTSB has requested that the public provide any available photos or videos of the incident to assist in their fact-finding efforts.
Source: BBC News
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