An Amazon cargo plane veered off a runway at Miami International Airport, struck several vehicles, and left five people dead on the ground. Five others were injured. The crash prompted an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and drew emergency crews to a scene one official described as "utter devastation."

The five victims were people on the ground, not aboard the aircraft. The local sheriff's office identified them in the days after the crash. The plane's pilots were also named by investigators and reported in local coverage.

As the plane approached the runway, its pilots appeared to attempt to abort the landing, according to the early findings of the NTSB investigation. The agency has not stated a cause, and its work remains in progress.

Attention also turned to the company that operated the flight on Amazon's behalf. The operator has a record of whistleblower complaints concerning safety. It was not established whether any of those complaints relate to the circumstances of this crash, and the NTSB has not drawn any connection between the operator's history and the accident.

Miami International Airport is among the busiest cargo hubs in the United States, and the crash disrupted operations at the facility. Emergency responders worked the scene in the hours after the aircraft came to rest, and the site remained under investigation.

Amazon relies on a network of contracted carriers to move packages through its air cargo operation. The company has not detailed publicly what role, if any, the findings will have on its arrangements with the operator. As the investigation continues, the identities of the pilots and of the five people killed on the ground have been reported, in a case federal authorities say will take time to resolve.

References

1. 1.Local coverage — identification of the five victims and the pilots
2. 2.NTSB — investigation underway and early findings that pilots appeared to attempt to abort the landing
3. 3.New York Post — whistleblower complaints concerning the operator's safety record
4. 4.Official statement — description of the scene as 'utter devastation'