Investigators have recovered flight recorders from an Amazon cargo plane that crashed at Miami International Airport, but the priority remains recovering victims, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.
Five people were killed and five others were seriously injured when a 21 Air Boeing 767-300 overshot the runway while attempting to land shortly before 2pm local time (7pm BST) on Sunday.
The plane hit two vehicles – a cleaning van with seven people and a Toyota with three passengers.
NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy said it was too early to draw conclusions about the cause of the crash because investigators were still in the “fact-finding stage.”
Speaking at a news conference at Miami International Airport on Monday, Omendi said the plane had two crew members on board and was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the third flight of the day.
The plane struck navigation aids and equipment after skidding off the runway and then crashed into a white Ford van belonging to a cleaning contract company.
It then overshot the perimeter fence and collided with a Toyota Corolla, coming to rest approximately 1,300 feet (394 m) short of the runway.
Omendi described the crash site as “devastating,” with debris from planes, vehicles and airport fencing strewn throughout the area.
“It’s hard to see, and I’m sure it’s very hard for first responders as well.”
She said the return of the victims’ bodies was the current priority, adding: “The investigation and access to the aircraft and evidence can wait.”