Video of the Amazon cargo plane crash that killed five people at Miami International Airport Sunday has revealed the dramatic moment police discovered a miracle survivor trapped inside a mangled car.
The disaster at the Florida airport occurred when the Prime Air delivery plane overshot a runway at 129 mph, tore through a perimeter fence and plowed into a row of parked cars, also leaving five people injured – three of whom are listed as being in a critical condition.
Footage captured in the aftermath of the tragedy, posted on X by the ONLY in DADE account, shows a police officer crouching down and peering into one of the damaged vehicles, unexpectedly coming across a person within.
“Rescue! We’ve got one breathing!” the emergency responder cries out.
“He’s alive!” a colleague shouts, before the first cop declares: “He’s alive, he’s breathing!”
open image in gallery“Is there anyone else in there?” the survivor is asked, but no answer is audible. Their condition is currently unknown.
Officers from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office can then be seen approaching the car, which is surrounded by debris, as ambulances and emergency vehicles arrive and the stricken Boeing 767 jet is visible being hosed down by firefighters.
The flight, operated by 21 Air, had flown in from Luis Munoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when disaster struck at approximately 2pm Sunday afternoon.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah previously said a number of people were trapped in vehicles during the incident, requiring “a complex extraction with our technical rescue team.”
Jadallah continued: “In addition to that, we had a very complex fire… including a search and rescue of the pilot and co-pilot that were trapped in this aircraft.”
A recording of radio communications, first obtained by The Miami Herald, revealed more about the rescue effort.
“The plane is on fire,” a firefighter says. “The plane is on fire. Put your game faces on, guys.”
Fire crews can be heard gathering hoses to battle the flames, with the aircraft’s left engine still running.
open image in galleryThe pilots then tell the firefighters they need to “energize” the aircraft in order to turn off the engine, forcing fire crews to flood the engine in order to disable it.
An eyewitness, truck driver Romiersky Rodriguez, reportedly told the NBC affiliate WTVJ he feared the jet would explode after its collision with the cars.
“Everything just went chaotic as soon as the plane fell, people all around, smoke everywhere, it’s a horrific experience,” he said.
“I couldn’t get close enough because we were scared that the plane was going to blow up.”
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement in response to the tragedy: “We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.
“The airplane, which was operated by 21 Air, was attempting to land when this incident occurred. We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to learn more and will cooperate fully with any investigation.”
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, who have described the scene of the accident as “utter devastation,” are currently working to establish why the plane skidded off the 9,000-foot long runway 30.
The possibility that it touched down on the tarmac too late or was impacted by the stormy South Florida weather that day have both been proposed as plausible explanations.