Amazon cargo jet overshoots runway at Miami International Airport, killing five

An Amazon cargo jet tore off the runway at Miami International Airport, ploughing through vehicles and erupting into flames in what investigators called "utter devastation".

All five killed were inside a van carrying cleaning company workers, along with an SUV struck outside airport grounds, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy said.

Thick smoke forced the closure of all runways and left debris scattered across one of the United States's busiest airports.

Here's what we about the crash know so far.

How did the crash happen?

Prime Air Flight 7598 was on its third flight of the day, coming from San Juan, Puerto Rico before it touched down in Miami just before 2pm on Sunday, local time.

Video of the landing appears to show the plane remaining airborne well down the runway before touching down.

But instead of slowing, the jet was still moving at roughly 129mph (208km/h) at the end of the runway, Flightradar24 said.

It's not clear why the plane was unable to stop.

The plane travelled about 396 meters past the paved surface.

It tore through a fence and crossed a service road used by warehouse staff, slamming into a van carrying seven people from a cleaning company and a Toyota SUV that was driving on a road beyond airport grounds.

Thick black smoke rose over the airport as the crash trapped the pilot and copilot in the cockpit and left people stuck inside cars, Miami‑Dade Fire Rescue said.

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Crews worked to free someone pinned underneath a vehicle.

More than 60 rescue units and about 200 personnel responded to the incident, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said in a statement.

Photos later showed the jet pitched forward with its nose on the ground, tail up, and scorch marks running along its right side.

The Prime Air plane came to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trailer trucks, images showed.

The aircraft appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire.

Who were the victims?

A total of five people were killed and 5 more were injured, including 3 who are in critical condition.

They are yet to be identified by authorities.

Victims of the Amazon cargo plane crash were all in a van and a passenger vehicle hit outside of airport property, the NTSB chair said.

The van with seven people inside was "torn apart. It certainly must have been devastating", NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said.

The van was owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp, an airline cleaning contractor.

At least two people were trapped in vehicles that were struck by the plane, and the pilot and copilot were trapped inside the plane by the crash, said Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Jadallah.

How is it affecting travel?

Although the airport halted all flights immediately after the crash, flights had resumed by Sunday evening, local time.

But the fallout stretched beyond the runway, with travellers facing delays across Miami's arrivals.

By noon the following day, inbound flights to the airport were delayed by more than 5 hours on average, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

About 232 flights were cancelled in the previous 24 hours, with more than 300 delayed flights on Sunday alone, an airport spokesperson said.

On Monday, Miami International Airport said that two of its four runways remained closed as flight tracking sites reported widespread delays at the airport.

What type of plane was it?

The flight was an Amazon operation but it was contracted to 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina.

The plane was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter that was originally built to carry passengers for various airlines from 1994 to 2015, according to Flightradar24.

It was converted to a cargo plane in 2015.

Mary Schiavo, a pilot and former inspector general of the Transportation Department, said the NTSB would also closely examine the maintenance history of the plane — particularly since it had a history of foreign ownership, including by a Russian company.

Why did the Amazon plane crash?

Experts say the landing video, wind conditions, braking performance and even the absence of specialised runway‑end safety material will all be central to understanding why the plane crashed.

The NTSB was still recovering and recording evidence, and crews were still removing jet fuel from the scene and aircraft.

But as investigations continue, experts have raised questions around the speed of the aircraft.

It is unclear exactly where the plane landed, whether it was beyond the normal touchdown zone.

The typical landing zone for a plane is within the first 914 meters of a runway, aviation experts have said.

If the cargo jet was beyond that area, it should have aborted the landing and gone around for another try, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said.

Ms Schiavo said videos showed the plane floating above the runway for an extended period without flaring the nose upward to force the main landing gear onto the ground.

It wasn't raining at the time, but dark storm clouds loomed and strong winds were reported.

Ms Schiavo said that if the plane had a tailwind, that could have contributed to it floating further down the runway.

"A tailwind would certainly add to your troubles if you've already given up a good chunk of the runway by not touching down and landing right away," Schiavo said.

The NTSB said the crew and survivors of the crash were yet to be interviewed.

What about airport safety measures?

Part of the NTSB investigation will look at the lack of runway material designed to stop runaway aircraft.

Not every US airport has an Engineered Materials Arresting System, a specialised bed that works to stop an overrunning aircraft.