The National Transportation Safety Board provided an update Monday afternoon on its investigation into what caused an Amazon cargo plane to overrun a runway at Miami International Airport and crash into two vehicles before stopping and bursting into flames Sunday. Five people were killed and at least five others were injured, authorities said. All of those who died were in the two vehicles that were hit, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said during a news conference Monday. The NTSB also said it recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, holds a press conference on September 7, 2026, regarding the investigation of the Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The NTSB says all of the victims were in the 2 vehicles hit. Homendy said the flight, Amazon Air Flight 7598, was a Boeing 767-33 Alpha operated by 21 Air LLC. He had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was on his third flight of the day, having gone from Cincinnati to Miami, then from Miami to San Juan and back to Miami. The plane skidded off Runway 30 upon landing, struck the navigation aids and collided with a white 2012 Ford Econoline pickup truck owned by Professional Ocean Service Corporation, a contract cleaning company for airlines, Homendy said. Seven people were inside the van at the time. The plane then crashed through a perimeter fence and collided with a Toyota Corolla Cross LE traveling on Northwest 67th Avenue. It continued onto the grass and crashed into another fence in an area where Tesla robotaxis were parked. In total, the plane traveled about 1,300 feet beyond the paved surface, Homendy said. Homendy said all of the victims were in those two vehicles. The van was inside the airport, while the Toyota was outside. 5 people dead, 5 injured and 3 in critical condition after deadly Amazon cargo plane crash at MIA 02:31 Two of the injured victims were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Their conditions are unknown, while the other three victims were taken to Ryder Trauma Center in Jackson in critical condition, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said. Cellphone video shows first responders finding a live person inside the crushed Toyota. “I would describe it in one word: devastating, total devastation,” Homendy said. “The Econoline van is destroyed. You can see the airbags, the surrounding airbags. You can see vehicle components, both passenger and the plane itself. Certainly navigation components, some debris from the airport and, certainly, fences everywhere. It’s quite extensive.” Witnesses recount the moments of the accident, including a man who said he helped the plane’s pilot. Witnesses recalled the horrific moments when they saw smoke and flames coming from the plane as it passed through the airport. “You look, and you see black smoke everywhere. It was absolutely crazy. It looked like something out of a movie,” Grace Mercado said. Another witness reported seeing the pilot immediately after the incident. Abraham Altamar, who works near the scene, said he observed a man he believes was the pilot shortly after the crash. Altamar described the man as visibly shaken and with minor injuries to his forehead and hand. According to Altamar, the pilot used a telephone to call his wife. Altamar recalled the man saying, “I’m fine. I was in the accident, but I’m already off the plane.” Video captured by a witness shows first responders helping people out of the plane while firefighters put out the plane. The quick response of first responders is drawing praise from local leaders. “We are very, very proud of our Miami-Dade Fire Rescue; they had a record response time of 30 seconds, and our sheriff’s office did an incredible job investigating,” said Commissioner Natalie Milan Orbis, who represents District 6 in Miami-Dade County. CBS News Miami contacted the owner of Professional Ocean Service Corporation, the cleaning company that owned the passenger van impacted by the accident, and they declined to comment on the situation. Damaged vehicles are seen at Miami International Airport after an Amazon cargo plane crashed into them on September 7, 2026. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The NTSB says it recovered recorders inside the plane The NTSB said it recovered both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. Both were being sent to NTSB headquarters for downloading and analysis. Homendy said the agency has some speed data from other sources, but wants to confirm it with the flight data recorder before releasing it. The agency has 32 people on the ground. Homendy said investigators could not yet fully access the aircraft because recovery operations were still ongoing and fuel was being removed from the plane. No interviews have been conducted yet. Homendy said the transportation disaster relief team is scheduling them, but said he had not yet confirmed who they had been in contact with. Investigators continue to work to determine what caused an Amazon cargo plane to crash at Miami International Airport. Joe Raedle/Getty Images What the NTSB says it’s looking for as it continues to investigate. Starting the next day, the team will be divided into specialized groups covering human performance, aircraft systems, power plants, air traffic control, aircraft performance, structures, meteorology and airport survivability factors. One area investigators will examine is whether an engineered materials detention system, known as EMAS, should have been installed at the end of the runway and whether it could have made a difference. EMAS is a lightweight, crushable material that is placed at the end of a runway and is designed to safely stop an aircraft overtaking it. Homendy said it’s not required at all airports. Investigators will also examine the contractual relationship between Amazon and 21 Air. “This is an Amazon operation for freight transportation, but it’s actually contracted to 21 Air,” Homendy said. “We want to see what that relationship is, who does what, what security provisions could be included in any type of contract or any type of policy.” Officials are investigating a Prime Air cargo plane at Miami International Airport after it overran the runway on Sept. 6, 2026. CHANDAN KHANNA /AFP via Getty Images The plane was manufactured in 1994. Homendy said the age and ownership history of the plane would be examined as part of the investigation. Homendy said the NTSB would not determine probable cause while on the scene. The agency’s goal at this stage is to document the scene and collect perishable evidence. He said the team hopes to be on the ground for at least a week. He also addressed the broader pattern of runway excursions, saying the NTSB has investigated more than 3,000 such incidents since 2008. “We can only work to prevent the next one if our recommendations are implemented at the end of an investigation,” Homendy said. “If we are in the business of repeatedly investigating an accident or tragedy and our recommendations are not implemented, then we will be here again and again.” Homendy thanked federal, state and local officials for their assistance in the incident, as well as expressing his condolences to the families. The NTSB said it plans to hold another briefing on Tuesday. Anyone with photos or videos relevant to the investigation was asked to send them to witness@ntsb.gov. More from CBS News at:
