Dramatic video captured the extraordinary moment rescuers found a person alive after an Amazon cargo plane crashed into their vehicle during what officials said was the aircraft’s third flight of the day.
At least five people were killed when the Boeing 767 veered off the runway and struck two vehicles at about 2pm on Sunday, authorities said.
Jennifer Homendy, chief executive officer of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said Monday afternoon that those who died were inside the vehicles. Officials have not yet released the victims’ identities.
The Amazon cargo jet first hit a 2012 Ford van, then skidded across the ground before crashing into a second car. Homendy said seven people employed by a contract airline cleaning company were in the van at the time. It remains unclear how many people were inside the other vehicle.
The pilot and co-pilot, whose names have not been made public, were also injured, though their conditions have not been disclosed. Homendy said the plane had been arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on its third trip of the day.
When emergency responders arrived at the scene, they immediately started trying to locate victims.
At one point, a police officer ran over to a crumpled SUV that was flipped on its side after the collision and tried to talk to someone inside.
He asked them, ‘You alright?’ as he crouched down and peered into the vehicle.
An Amazon cargo plane crash-landed on Sunday afternoon after it overshot the runway at Miami International Airport
A video captured the moment a police officer rescued a person inside one of the cars that was hit. At least five people died after the jet crashed into two vehicles
After realizing that someone was inside and that they were alive, the officer called over a rescue team to help get them out.
‘We got one for you! He’s alive!’ the cop and another man shouted.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but a preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found that the airport is not equipped with the Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) that has been installed at more than 120 airports nationwide.
The system places beds of lightweight, crushable material at the end of a runway to help bring planes that overshoot the tarmac safely to a stop, the agency said.
Homendy said the plane overshot the runway, making it about 1,300ft past the paved surface.
She said that the NTSB’s primary focus is trying to help families find their loved ones.
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‘Recovery of victims is most important,’ she said in a press conference before describing the aftermath at the scene.
‘There is fuel everywhere, which will have to be remediated, and they are removing fuel from the aircraft, and as we speak, recovery operations continue,’ she told the press.
On Monday, Jennifer Homendy, the chief executive officer of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said the jet was on its third flight of the day
Terrifying dispatch audio obtained by the Daily Mail revealed the horrific moment rescuers counted the dead after the crash.
‘This aircraft overran the runway and crossed 67th Avenue. It struck a truck,’ one emergency responder said, according to the audio.
‘We do have a patient on the ground. We’re looking at surveilling the area for more patients.’
Another rescuer from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue added: ‘Be advised, we have three patients; it appears to be two black, we have two black and one red.’
First responders use color codes during triage to help sort patients quickly. Black means the person is deceased, while red means they have suffered critical, life-threatening injuries.
Homendy said the plane overshot the runway, making it about 1,300ft past the paved surface. A preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found that the airport is not equipped with the Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS), which places beds of lightweight, crushable material at the end of a runway to help bring planes that overshoot the tarmac safely to a stop
When the emergency call initially came in, a first responder could be heard telling his crew: ‘Guys, the plane’s on fire, the plane’s on fire, put your game faces on.’
As officials arrived on the scene, it became evident just how dire the situation was.
Firefighters ran out of water and requested backup as the plane continued to burn, the audio revealed.
Crews also had to rescue a person who was trapped under a vehicle, with one emergency responder telling dispatch that they were ‘going to need extrication.’
A ‘green’ patient, someone who suffered minor injuries, was found ‘off to the side,’ according to the audio.
Authorities kept working the scene, leading to the discovery of further victims.
Homendy said that 32 investigators are on the case, and that the recording device in the plane has been sent to headquarters for evaluation.