Amazon Cargo Plane Crashes in Miami, Killing Five

Federal investigators are working to determine what led to the crash of an Amazon cargo jet at Miami International Airport, resulting in the deaths of at least five people and injuring five others.

The plane, operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier, overran the runway after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday. The aircraft then plowed across a road used by warehouse workers and other businesses surrounding the airport, striking vehicles and bursting into flames.

Aviation safety experts say one factor investigators will consider is whether the plane flew too far before touching down, exceeding the typical 3,000 feet landing zone. If so, it should have aborted the landing and attempted another approach.

Mary Schiavo, a pilot and former Inspector General of the Transportation Department, noted that video footage appears to show the Amazon plane floating above the runway for an extended period without flaring its nose upward to force the main landing gear onto the ground. She added that strong winds could have contributed to this phenomenon.