The Washington Examiner reports five people died after an Amazon Prime Air cargo jet overran a Miami runway, while federal investigators search for the cause.

The Examiner reported that the Boeing 767 crossed the airport grounds and hit two vehicles before stopping 1,300 feet beyond the paved runway. Cargo carrier 21 Air operated the flight. Two crew members were aboard.

Five people were killed and five others were injured. Three of the injured remained in critical condition as the National Transportation Safety Board began examining the wreckage.

The plane first struck navigation aids and other airport equipment. It then hit a white Ford Econoline van used by an airline cleaning company and crossed an airport fence.

The aircraft continued onto a road outside the airport, where it struck a Toyota Corolla Cross. It moved across more grass before hitting another fence.

Homendy found torn vehicles, scattered debris and fuel along the plane’s path

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy walked the plane’s path Monday. She described tire marks running from the pavement through the grass and debris spread across the site.

Homendy gave a blunt assessment of the scene:

“I would describe it in one word [as] devastating, utter devastation.”

She said the Econoline van had been torn apart. Air bags and vehicle parts lay among components from the cargo plane.

Homendy also said spilled fuel would require cleanup. Crews were removing more fuel from the aircraft while recovery work continued.

She said the recovery of victims took priority over access to the aircraft and other evidence. That people-first order is the right standard for public agencies confronting deadly emergencies, as readers also saw in our earthquake response coverage.

Flight recorders may answer what witnesses and wreckage cannot

Investigators recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. They planned to send both devices to NTSB headquarters in Washington for review.

The agency already had information about the aircraft’s speed. Homendy said investigators would not release that figure until they checked it against the flight recorder.

That restraint matters. Hard evidence should drive conclusions in aviation and in court, a principle that also bears on the document fight in the Macron defamation dispute.

The cause of the runway overrun remained undetermined. The available account also did not identify the people killed or injured, disclose the crew members’ conditions, or give a verified aircraft speed.

Miami’s missing runway arresting system will face scrutiny

Investigators also planned to examine why that runway lacked an engineered materials arresting system. Such systems use “crushable” material to slow an aircraft that runs beyond the pavement.

But the NTSB said it was too early to decide whether such a system could have prevented the crash. The aircraft traveled far beyond the runway and crossed the airport boundary before reaching a public road.

That boundary raises a basic public-safety concern: Airport safeguards must protect people outside the fence as well as those aboard an aircraft. Clear responsibility also matters in other cases involving borders and jurisdiction, including the cartel citizenship case.

The NTSB expected to remain at Miami International Airport for at least one week. Its on-site work would document the wreckage and collect evidence before that material disappeared or deteriorated.

The flight recorders, tire marks, damaged equipment and long path beyond the runway will shape the inquiry. Investigators still must determine what caused the overrun and whether airport safeguards affected the outcome.

Accountability starts with facts, not guesses. The public deserves a clear answer and practical fixes once those facts are in.