The five people killed when an Amazon-branded cargo plane overran a runway in Miami on Sunday had been inside a van that was transporting a cleaning crew and an SUV outside the airport, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.Five others were injured in the incident at Miami International Airport.
NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference that the aircraft struck a white Ford van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corporation, a contract cleaning company for airlines, which was inside the airport.Seven people were in the van, she added, but did not comment further about the injuries or deaths.
After that, the plane hit a Toyota SUV that had been driving outside the airport, Homendy said.She said the primary focus is on the “recovery of the victims.” “The investigation and access to the aircraft, as well as evidence, can wait while that goes forward,” Homendy told reporters.Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, holds a press conference on the investigation into the Amazon Cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport on Monday.Joe Raedle / Getty ImagesShe described the scene of the crash as “devastating” and said the van had been “torn apart.”“You can see on the paved surface tire marks that continue through the grass.There’s debris everywhere,” she said.
“The SUV, you can see airbags, the surrounding airbags.You can see components from vehicles, both passenger vehicles and the aircraft itself.”The Boeing 767-300 aircraft overran the runway during a landing, officials said.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel previously said that the flight was operated by 21 Air.“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss,” Nantel said in a statement.21 Air CEO Keith Winters said in a message on its webs...