SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Federal aviation investigators are looking into what caused an Amazon cargo plane to crash at Miami International Airport on Sunday. The plane overshot the runway while landing and then slammed into multiple vehicles outside the airport. At least five people have died and five others were injured. NPR's Chandelis Duster has been covering the crash and joins us now. Hi, Chandelis.
CHANDELIS DUSTER, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.
DETROW: The National Transportation Safety Board just gave a briefing this afternoon. Tell us the latest.
DUSTER: Yes, NTSB chair, Jennifer Homendy, said the plane landed and then left the runway. The plane first hit a van owned by a cleaning company that services the airport. We learned that there were seven people inside. She said the van was torn apart. The plane also hit an SUV, mangling the vehicle. But it's still an active recovery scene. Here is Jennifer Homendy.
JENNIFER HOMENDY: There's fuel everywhere. That will have to be remediated. But then they are also removing fuel from the aircraft. So we have to allow that to occur. And as we speak, recovery operations continue.
DUSTER: Homendy would not update on the status of the pilot or copilot but said they will be scheduling interviews.
DETROW: One thing people have been pointing to is that Miami International Airport is not equipped with an emergency stopping system that can safely stop planes that go past the end of the runways. Did that come up with the NTSB today?
DUSTER: Yes, Homendy said what's known as the EMAS system will be part of this investigation. But she didn't add anything further. I should explain that the EMAS system is designed to stop an aircraft before it exits the end of the runway. It's lightweight, crushable material that forces a plane to slow down. Earlier today, I spoke with Gregory Feith, a former senior air safety investigator at the NTSB, who said, in this case, he believes an EMAS system would have saved lives.
GREGORY FEITH: EMAS systems are expensive, but not so expensive that an airport can't afford it. Accidents and incidents like this usually spawn a debate, a discussion and actually an installation of systems like this.
DUSTER: I reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration about why the airport does not use EMAS systems, but I have not received a response yet.
DETROW: And this happened on a holiday weekend where a lot of people are traveling. What is the situation at the airport right now?
DUSTER: The crash has caused significant delays, as you can imagine, flight cancellations and long lines at the airport. I can tell you that at the moment, two of Miami's four runways remain closed, and we don't know when they might reopen. But obviously, today is a busy travel day, with people trying to get home after the holiday. It's one of the busiest of the entire year. And I should note that there are hundreds of flights that have been delayed and canceled today.
DETROW: That is NPR's Chandelis Duster. Thank you so much.
DUSTER: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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