Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz identified the five people who died in a deadly cargo plane crash at a press conference on Tuesday. The office later released the names of the five people injured in the incident, which included the two pilots involved.
The Amazon cargo jet, a Boeing 767, ran off a runway at Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. on Sunday. Five people were killed and three remain hospitalized, two in critical condition, as of Tuesday morning.
“Our mission remains clear,” Cordero-Stutz told reporters. “Protect the scene, support the families and follow the facts.”
All five people killed were in a van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp., an airline cleaning contractor, Cordero-Stutz confirmed.
The five people killed were identified as:
- Rolando Aleman Leon, 55
- Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53
- Julio C. Pineda, 75
- Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53
- Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47
Two other people in the van who survived: Ridoel Averhoff Diaz, 32, and Roosevelt Sebastian Perdomo Torres, 36. The former is in critical condition, while the latter is stable.
READ MORE: Federal investigators probe Amazon cargo jet's fiery runway crash that killed 5 in Miami
The plane also hit a Toyota Corolla that was travelling outside the airport after it overran the runway by 1,300 feet. The sedan’s occupant, Eugenio Corredor, 79, is hospitalized in critical condition.
The two pilots, Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37, and Joseph Carol, 55, were treated and released with minor injuries.
The plane struck navigational aids and tore through a perimeter fence before coming to a stop and bursting into flames.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office’s homicide bureau is investigating the deaths, while the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash itself.
Delays, road closures persist
The incident sparked hundreds of cancellations and delays for passengers arriving and departing flights from the busy airport.
One in 10 flights into Miami were cancelled and 17% saw delays on Sunday, the day of the crash. Operations have recovered somewhat, though effects persist two days later as two of the airport’s four runways remain closed.
Five percent of incoming flights were cancelled and 10% have been delayed Tuesday as of 1 p.m., according to data from FlightAware. Among outgoing flights, 8% have been delayed and just 11 — or 1% — have been cancelled.
Northwest 67th Avenue remains closed from Northwest 32nd Street to Northwest 25th Street. Cordero-Stutz asked drivers to avoid the area, use alternate routes and allow extra travel time at the press conference.
The sheriff also encouraged travelers to check directly with the airline before heading to the airport.
Safety questions arise as investigation starts
At a press conference Monday, National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the board is still in the “fact-finding phase” of the investigation.
The NTSB, an independent federal agency that investigates civil transportation accidents, recovered flight data and cockpit voice recordings to evaluate, Homendy said.
Throughout the investigation, the 32-person team will look into factors like the history of the flight crew, the airplane’s systems and the forecast and weather conditions upon landing.
“We'll have to interview the crew. We'll have to interview others. We're going to want to talk to crew members of flights that may have landed prior to this flight,” she said.
National Weather Service data show southern winds reached about 20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 30, at the Miami airport around the time the plane crashed around 2 p.m. Weather records also show a thunderstorm in the area.
NTSB has a staff meteorologist who will look at the forecast as part of the investigation, Homendy said.
The incident has drawn attention to the fact Miami does not have an Engineered Material Arresting System, or EMAS. The safety system helps stop planes that veer of the runway. It uses crushable material at the end of a runway, which the tires of the aircraft sink into.
It’s unclear whether EMAS at the airport would have helped. That question will serve as a key part of the investigation, Homendy said Monday. The runway wasn’t required to have the system, because it has a 1,000-foot safety buffer at the end of its runways.
NTSB will eventually move into potential recommendations to avoid similar incidents in the future, but as of now, it’s simply gathering evidence — including the plane’s speed upon landing — before drawing conclusions, Homendy said.
“We move into analysis once we have all the facts complete,” she said.
