E-commerce giant Amazon has paused its operations with cargo carrier 21 Air following a fatal crash involving one of the airline's aircraft in Miami earlier this month, the BBC reported.

"After the tragic incident last weekend, we've spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we've decided to pause our operations with 21 Air," an Amazon spokesperson said on Sunday, according to the BBC.

The 21 Air-operated Boeing 767-300 cargo jet overshot a runway at Miami International Airport on September 6 and struck several vehicles, killing five people, the report said. The aircraft had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, before overshooting the runway on landing and skidding into nearby vehicles.

Miami authorities identified the five people killed as Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47. Five others were injured, the BBC said.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said safety has always been the company's top priority, whether in its own operations or when working with partners, and that Amazon would continue supporting the investigation and those affected, according to the report.

21 Air, an all-cargo carrier that operates flights for major companies including Amazon and DHL, previously said it was "devastated by the accident" and was cooperating with authorities, the BBC reported. The airline's chief executive, Keith Winters, offered condolences to the families of those who died and said the company's immediate priorities were supporting those affected, assisting investigators, and ensuring accurate information is shared as it becomes available.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation. NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy described the crash site as a scene of "utter devastation," according to the BBC. Investigators have recovered the aircraft's flight recorders to examine the conditions leading up to the crash.

Early findings released by the NTSB indicated that a pilot on board had noted the aircraft was travelling too fast before it overshot the runway. One pilot warned the other multiple times about the aircraft's excessive speed, but "there was not a consistent verbal response," even as an altitude alarm sounded, the safety board said, according to the report. Other electronic warnings meant to alert the pilots to danger during landing also activated, investigators found.

Source: BBC