Witness Describes ‘Surreal’ Amazon Cargo Plane Crash at Miami Airport

Federal investigators have arrived in South Florida to determine the cause of a deadly incident involving an Amazon cargo plane at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon. The aircraft overshot the runway, crashed, and burst into flames, prompting a massive emergency response and leaving witnesses shaken.

Grace Mercado, who was in a vehicle nearby with her partner, recounted hearing a loud noise before her partner exclaimed, “Oh my goodness. Is that a plane crash?” Mercado looked up from her phone to see the cargo plane had left the runway, plowed across a Miami-Dade street, and come to a stop surrounded by smoke.

“It was extremely loud,” Mercado said. “It wasn’t anything that I’ve ever heard before. It was like a shake. Honestly, I can’t compare it to anything else.” She described the scene as surreal, stating, “It was like something from a movie. It was crazy.”

Although Mercado initially noted no visible ambulances, first responders arrived within seconds. According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, more than 60 units and approximately 200 personnel responded to the crash site.

The incident resulted in five fatalities and five injuries. A spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue expressed condolences, saying, “Our hearts are with the victims and their families following (Sunday’s) tragic cargo plane crash. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and are keeping everyone who was injured in our thoughts and prayers.”

Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now working to establish why the aircraft departed the runway. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.