A Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by 21 Air caught fire after overrunning the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon. The aircraft, flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico, skidded off the runway at approximately 129 mph.
At least five people died and five others were injured in the incident, which occurred just before 2 p.m. Three of the injured were hospitalized in critical condition. Flames were seen erupting from the rear of the right engine as the jet came to a stop. Witnesses described hearing an explosion and feeling their homes shake.
"Everything just went chaotic as soon as the plane fell, people all around, smoke everywhere, it’s a horrific experience," said truck driver Romiersky Rodriguez, who was near the scene and feared the jet would explode due to a fuel leak. "I couldn’t get close enough because we were scared that the plane was going to blow up."
Around 60 fire and rescue units responded to the scene. Broadcastify audio captured a responder warning, "The plane’s on fire. The plane’s on fire."
The 32-year-old aircraft landed on runway 30, which is over 9,000 feet long, according to FAA data. It is unclear why the plane failed to stop before leaving the runway and impacting multiple vehicles. Investigators will examine if the plane landed too far down the runway, as the typical landing zone is within the first 3,000 feet. They will also assess whether a tailwind contributed to the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. The sound of the crash was audible for miles, with one resident three miles from the airport reporting that his home shook.