Federal investigators are in South Florida, probing the cause of a fatal accident at Miami International Airport involving an Amazon cargo plane. The crash occurred on Sunday afternoon and resulted in significant damage.
Eyewitnesses are sharing what they experienced during the incident. Grace Mercado recounted being in a vehicle with her partner when he remarked about a startling sound. “We hear a noise,” Mercado recalled. “And he goes, ‘Oh my goodness. Is that a plane crash?'” She looked up from her phone, seeing an Amazon cargo plane had overshot the runway, crossed Miami-Dade street, and halted.
Mercado described it as intensely loud, unlike anything she had heard before, likening it to a shake. “Honestly, I can’t compare it to anything else.” She conveyed feeling disoriented while trying to comprehend the scene. “The plane was up in smoke,” she added. “It was just, it was like something from a movie. It was crazy.”
The aftermath showed the Amazon cargo plane in flames, captured in a photo from September 6, 2026. Initially, first responders were absent but quickly arrived. “There weren’t any ambulances or anything,” Mercado said. “But they ended up there in under a minute. It was absolutely insane.”
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported that more than 60 units and about 200 personnel responded promptly to the crash site. Five lives were lost, and five others sustained injuries.
“Our hearts are with the victims and their families following Sunday’s tragic cargo plane crash,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue stated. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and are keeping everyone who was injured in our thoughts and prayers.”
Mercado noticed no movement around the wreckage, just smoke after the crash. “It’s something you don’t see in real life,” she reflected. “So, it’s surreal.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the accident to determine why the aircraft left the runway. The victims’ identities remain undisclosed.