An Amazon Prime Air cargo jet barreled off a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, killing at least five people and injuring five more as the massive Boeing 767 plowed through vehicles on a nearby roadway and erupted into a fireball of thick black smoke.
The terrifying wreck unfolded just before 2 p.m. when Prime Air flight 7598 — a Boeing 767 operated by 21 Air — landed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and careened off the runway before smashing into "multiple vehicles" and bursting into flames, officials said.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed five people were dead and another five were injured — including three in critical condition — in the shocking crash, according to NBC 6 South Florida.
Horrifying footage captures the chaos
Footage of the terrifying crash showed the huge jet lurched on its side as fires raged and enormous plumes of black smoke filled the sky, while passersby looked on in horror.
"Oh my God!" people were heard screaming as the wreck burned in one clip, while others captured officials waving people away and emergency responders descending on the fiery scene.
It remains unclear how the fatalities and injuries were spread between the plane's crew and people struck by the wreck on the ground. But the plane's two pilots appeared to have been among the injured, as they were reportedly taken to a nearby hospital along with the other three wounded, NBC 6 reported.
60 emergency units rush to scene
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed the plane struck "multiple vehicles" in the wreck, and that 60 units had been dispatched along with personnel who were "assessing patients" on the scene.
Despite the fiery scene, the Amazon jet appeared largely intact on the roadway, with the cause of the crash still unclear.
'Thank God this wasn't a passenger jet'
The massive cargo plane, headed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami, was seen with black smoke and flames billowing from its fuselage. The aircraft bore a large scorch mark along its side as it sat beyond the runway surrounded by emergency vehicles.
"Injuries HAVE been reported, but thank GOD this wasn't a passenger jet," one observer wrote on social media. "But obviously, keep praying for the victims."
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are expected to launch investigations into the cause of the crash. It was not immediately clear whether weather, mechanical failure, or pilot error played a role in the disaster.
Amazon Prime Air has not yet issued a statement on the crash. The company's cargo operation, which uses a fleet of Boeing 767s operated by contracted carriers, has been a growing presence in the skies over the United States in recent years.
