Amazon plane crash survivor found alive inside SUV as rescuers searched wreckage

MIAMI, FLORIDA: A person was found alive inside a crushed SUV after an Amazon Boeing 767 overshot the runway and crashed into two vehicles in Miami on Sunday, killing at least five people.

The dramatic rescue came as emergency crews searched the wreckage for victims following the crash at around 2 pm.

The aircraft was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and had been making its third trip of the day, according to Jennifer Homendy, chief executive officer of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The pilot and co-pilot were injured, though their conditions remain unknown.

Jennifer Homendy reveals Amazon plane’s third flight

The Amazon cargo jet slammed into a 2012 Ford van after barreling off the runway before skidding across the ground and hitting another vehicle.

Homendy said seven people working for a contract airline cleaning company were inside the van. It remains unclear how many people were in the other vehicle.

The five people who died were in the vehicles, she said, though none of the victims had been identified at the time of her remarks.

The aircraft overshot the runway by about 1,300 feet past the paved surface. As investigators began working to understand what happened, Homendy said the NTSB's main focus was helping families find their loved ones.

“Recovery of victims is most important,” she said during a press conference. She also described the difficult conditions at the crash site.

“There is fuel everywhere, which will have to be remediated, and they are removing fuel from the aircraft, and as we speak, recovery operations continue,” Homendy told reporters.

Amazon plane crash survivor found alive in SUV

As emergency responders searched the scene, one police officer came across a crumpled SUV that had been flipped onto its side. 

The officer crouched down and tried to speak to someone trapped inside. “You alright?” he asked.

After realizing there was someone inside and that the person was alive, he called over a rescue team to help get them out.

“We got one for you! He's alive!” the cop and another man shouted. 

The rescue became one of the most striking moments from the chaotic response as crews continued looking through the wreckage for other victims.

The crash also left the plane on fire, creating further challenges for firefighters at the scene.

Dispatch audio captures Miami plane crash response

Dispatch audio obtained by the Daily Mail captured first responders describing the scene as they tried to locate victims. 

“This aircraft overran the runway and crossed 67th Avenue. It struck a truck,” one emergency responder said.

Another responder reported, “We do have a patient on the ground. We're looking at surveilling the area for more patients.” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue then reported three patients.

“Be advised, we have three patients; it appears to be two black, we have two black and one red,” a rescuer said.

First responders use color codes during triage, with black indicating a deceased person and red indicating a critically injured patient.

When the emergency call first came in, another responder could be heard warning his crew: “Guys, the plane's on fire, the plane's on fire, put your game faces on.”

Firefighters later ran out of water and requested backup while the aircraft continued to burn.

Crews also worked to free a person trapped under a vehicle, with one responder saying they were “going to need extrication.” A “green” patient, meaning someone with minor injuries, was also found “off to the side,” according to the audio.

NTSB probes Amazon plane crash, runway overrun

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

A preliminary FAA report found that the airport does not have an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS), which has been installed at more than 120 airports nationwide.

The system uses beds of lightweight, crushable material at the end of a runway to help bring aircraft that overshoot the runway to a stop.

Homendy said 32 investigators are working on the case.

The recording device from the aircraft has also been sent to NTSB headquarters for evaluation as investigators begin piecing together what happened during the deadly runway overrun.