Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. A Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air and bearing Amazon’s “Smile” logo, was involved in a serious incident at Miami International Airport on Sunday. As it started its descent under dark clouds, it was hard to tell from a distance that there were any problems with the plane. But as it got closer to touchdown, something was clearly wrong.
The plane seemed to hover, and video posted to social media showed it going well beyond the usual landing zone for Runway 30. Even after two of its landing gear made it to the ground, the left rear gear continued to bounce along the runway. By the time it reached the runway’s end, the plane was still going nearly 130 miles per hour, tracking data from Flightradar24 showed.
It then barreled across a small grassy patch, through a chain-link fence with razor wire, and concrete barriers designed to keep cars out of the secure area crumbled as the jet headed straight for a four-lane road. Slicing across the pavement, the aircraft struck several vehicles, including one left flipped onto its side and twisted into an arc, before sliding to a fiery stop just shy of a parking lot filled with dozens of cars.
A first responder soon shouted on an emergency radio channel, “Plane’s on fire! Put your game faces on.” Flames and thick black smoke rose from the aircraft as rescue crews rushed in to douse it with fire retardant. Over 60 fire rescue units and some 200 firefighters responded, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied “Ray” Jadallah said Sunday during a news conference.
At least five people died, and five were injured, though the victims’ location during the crash and the condition of the pilots rescued from the cockpit still aren’t clear. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to hold a news conference Monday on its investigation.
The catastrophe left Miami’s airport operating with just two of its normal four runways on a busy Labor Day and raised questions about whether the facility needs better equipment to prevent an overshooting aircraft from leaving airport property.
The plane was a 32-year-old Boeing 767 en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. It was operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier headquartered in North Carolina with an operations center in Miami. 21 Air works for several companies and is one of nine flight vendors for Amazon Air, which operates more than 250 carriers daily to ship customer packages.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel told CNN in a statement, “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.”
The crash scene and cleanup are causing delays, with flights headed to the South Florida hub expected to be an average of 2 1/2 hours late, the Federal Aviation Administration advised. Two of the airport’s four runways are closed for most of Monday.
Aviation experts said that Miami International Airport lacks a key safety feature that might have prevented the aircraft from overrunning the airport property and reaching a roadway. The Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) places a series of concrete pads at the end of a runway, designed to be crushed under the weight of an airplane, stopping it from going further.
In conclusion, this incident highlights the importance of airport safety features and the need for airports to be equipped with the latest technology to prevent such incidents. It’s a tragic reminder of the risks involved in air travel, and our thoughts are with the families of the victims. And, as I always say, you can’t make this stuff up – a plane crashing into a parking lot, what’s next? 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
