Miami plane crash victims identified after Amazon jet slammed into van on city street

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All five people who died when an Amazon cargo jet ran off the runway at Miami International Airport were inside a shuttle van used by an aircraft cleaning crew, authorities say.

The crash occurred during a landing attempt on Sunday when the aircraft hit the van on airport grounds, broke through a perimeter fence, and subsequently struck an SUV on a nearby city street.

Five other people were injured. Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said Tuesday that both the pilot and co-pilot have been released from the hospital, while two victims remain in critical condition and a third is in stable condition.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said at a press conference that the 55-year-old captain had 7,145 flight hours and the 37-year-old first officer had 2,655.

The NTSB is investigating the crash, with a primary focus expected to center on the absence of specialized systems designed to slow and stop overshooting aircraft at the end of runways.

The Prime Air cargo plane overran the runway and struck vehicles on September 6 at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida (AFP/Getty)

Miami International Airport is not among the 120 airfields across the US equipped with lightweight, crushable materials that the Federal Aviation Administration says have saved around 500 lives.

Even without an engineered deceleration system, the airport appears to comply with federal rules because it maintains a 1,000-foot (305-meter) safety buffer beyond the end of its runways, according to aviation experts.

Homendy noted that while her agency aims to prevent such tragedies, runway overruns continue to occur despite previous safety recommendations.

“Our recommendations must be implemented or we’re going to be here again,” she said during a news conference on Monday.

Investigators have recovered the flight data recorder and are reviewing its information. Official interviews with the pilot, co-pilot, air traffic controllers, and other witnesses are being scheduled, Homendy said.

Amazon released a statement expressing its full cooperation with the investigation, adding that its deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families.

Five people killed in a van used by plane cleaners

The five victims were traveling in a van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp., a company contracted to clean planes. The vendor stated it would refrain from commenting on the crash out of respect for the families of the victims.

“Our employees are far more than the people who work beside us each day, they are family, and they are deeply loved. Our hearts and prayers are with every employee and every family whose lives have been forever changed,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.

The sheriff identified the deceased as Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.

The flight was finishing a two-hour journey from Puerto Rico as storms gathered near the Miami airport.

NTSB officials stated that the plane traveled approximately 1,300 feet (396 meters) past the end of the runway.

Homendy described the scene as “utter devastation,” featuring scattered vehicle wreckage, deployed air bags, destroyed navigation equipment, and ruined fencing along the aircraft’s path. She noted that safety precautions were necessary because jet fuel remained present 24 hours after the crash.

NTSB examining why pilots didn’t abort landing

Strong winds exceeding 25 knots were reported on Saturday afternoon. Experts reviewing footage of the landing suggested a powerful tailwind likely pushed the jet far down the runway past its intended touchdown point, with the aircraft remaining airborne without flaring its nose to force the wheels onto the ground.

It remains unclear why the flight crew did not abort the landing to make a second attempt.

Air traffic controllers had also not shifted the landing direction to allow the plane to approach into a headwind, an operational adjustment airports routinely make when winds change.

The flight was operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 originally flew as a passenger plane for several foreign airlines over more than two decades before being converted to carry freight in 2015, according to Flightradar24.

Miami International Airport is not among the 120 airfields across the US equipped with lightweight, crushable materials that the Federal Aviation Administration says have saved around 500 lives (Reuters)

Two of the airport’s four runways remained closed Tuesday. Homendy said they will not reopen until NTSB investigators gather all required evidence from the crash site.

More than 225 flights were canceled across Sunday and Monday, with hundreds more delayed, officials said.

Homendy said the NTSB will work to hand the runway back to airport management as quickly as possible after documenting the scene.