Emergency responders discovered a survivor in a mangled car after an Amazon cargo plane skidded off the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, according to dramatic video footage.
The Boeing 767 jet, operated by 21 Air and flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico, overran runway 30 at approximately 129 mph shortly before 2 p.m., crashing into vehicles just off the runway. The incident resulted in five fatalities and five injuries, with three individuals in critical condition.
Footage shows an emergency responder exclaiming, "Rescue! We’ve got one breathing!" as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer peers into the crushed vehicle. Another voice is heard saying, "He's alive!" before confirmation of breathing is given.
Debris from the collision was scattered across a grassy area adjacent to the runway. Fire crews were seen dousing the plane with water, and significant skid marks led from the runway to the aircraft's final resting place.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are examining the circumstances of the crash. A primary focus will be understanding why the plane failed to stop on runway 30, which is over 9,000 feet long. Typically, landing occurs within the first 3,000 feet of a runway. Investigators are also considering the potential impact of tailwinds on the stormy South Florida day.
An eyewitness described the scene as chaotic, with fears that the jet might explode after crossing a road used by airport businesses and warehouse workers. "Everything just went chaotic as soon as the plane fell, people all around, smoke everywhere, it's a horrific experience," truck driver Romiersky Rodriguez told WTVJ. "I couldn’t get close enough because we were scared that the plane was going to blow up."