Flight recorders recovered from 'devastating' Amazon cargo plane crash

What the report says

Investigators have recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the Amazon cargo plane that crashed at Miami International Airport, according to the BBC World News report. The National Transportation Safety Board said the priority at this stage is still the recovery of victims and the preservation of evidence, with the inquiry remaining in an early fact-finding phase.

The Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air, overshot the runway shortly before 14:00 local time on Sunday after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on its third flight of the day. Five people were killed and five others were seriously injured. The aircraft struck airport equipment and two vehicles inside the perimeter, including a white van carrying seven people and a Toyota with three passengers, before coming to rest beyond the runway.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said it was too soon to determine the cause of the crash. Investigators are examining flight history, crew training and experience, radar information, aircraft performance, systems, engines and weather conditions at the time of landing. The agency is also looking at whether an engineered materials arresting system should have been in place at the runway end.

The crash led to runway closures and wider travel disruption at the airport during the busy Labor Day holiday period. Amazon said it was heartbroken by the loss of life, while 21 Air said it was cooperating with the investigation. In general, runway overruns are a major aviation safety concern because they can involve high-speed impacts and limited stopping distance.