An Amazon cargo jet overshot a runway and crashed after landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
The Boeing 767 freighter, operated by 21Air, struck several cars after skidding off the tarmac at approximately 129 mph.
Authorities confirmed that five people died and five others were injured in the wreck.
Three of those injured are currently hospitalized in critical condition.
Rescue crews arrived at the crash site within 30 seconds of the call.
An arriving firefighter shouted an urgent warning over dispatch audio, “The plane is on fire. Put your game face on guys.”
Video footage captured the aircraft skidding with bright orange flames shooting from its right engine.
The pilot and co-pilot remained trapped in the cockpit as firefighters used a ladder to enter through a window.
Rescuers faced dangerous conditions because the left engine continued running and threatened to trigger an explosion.
Firefighters also worked to contain a fuel leak and utilized foam to extinguish the fire.
Local resident Beth Tilman described the unfamiliar scent filling the air, “It didn’t smell like when the Everglades are burning.”
She went on to explain that, “It wasn’t trees burning. It wasn’t mangroves burning. It was some other odor that I, honestly, had never smelled before.”
The airport runways were not equipped with a recommended concrete arresting safety system to stop overshooting planes.
The crash caused massive disruptions for holiday travelers, forcing the cancellation of more than 160 flights.
Hurley, Mississippi, resident Lisa Walker spoke about the crowded airport terminal, saying, “This airport is packed.”
She added that, “Some people are being told it will be Tuesday before they can even get a flight.”
The cause of the fatal crash is still being investigated.