Prime Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767 cargo jet, was on its third flight of the day, arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it touched down at Miami International Airport just before 2pm local time on Sunday. Video of the landing appears to show the plane remaining airborne well down the runway before touching down, according to the NTSB.
Flight data from Flightradar24 indicates the aircraft was still moving at roughly 129mph (208km/h) when it reached the end of the paved surface. It travelled about 396 meters past the runway, tore through a fence, crossed a service road used by warehouse staff, and struck a van carrying seven people from a cleaning company and a Toyota SUV driving on a road beyond airport grounds.
The NTSB said all five people killed were inside the van and the SUV. The van, owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp, an airline cleaning contractor, was described by Homendy as 'torn apart — it certainly must have been devastating.' Five others were injured, three critically.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded with more than 60 rescue units and about 200 personnel. Chief Ray Jadallah said at least two people were trapped in vehicles struck by the plane, and the pilot and copilot were trapped inside the cockpit by the crash.
Photos later showed the jet pitched forward with its nose on the ground, tail up, and scorch marks along its right side. The aircraft rested on its belly beside a roadway near two semi-trailer trucks, largely intact despite the fire.
The Guardian reported that expert theories have begun to emerge that the plane may have landed too fast and too far down the runway to be able to stop in time, with storm clouds visible in the sky behind the jet in video footage.
The crash forced the closure of all runways at one of the United States' busiest airports, with thick smoke and debris scattering across the airfield.
Investigators are continuing to examine the scene and have not yet released the identities of the victims.