Federal investigators probe Amazon cargo jet's fiery runway crash

… The crash, which sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky, trapped the pilot and copilot in the cockpit and some occupants in cars, said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah. The agency said crews also had to extricate a person who was trapped under a vehicle. It wasn't immediately clear if the pilots were among those killed. The typical landing zone for a plane is within the first 3,000 feet (914 meters) of a runway, experts said. If the cargo jet was beyond that area, it should have aborted the landing and gone around for another try, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said. Mary Schiavo, who is a pilot and former Inspector General of the Transportation Department, said video posted online shows the Amazon plane floating above the runway for an extended period without flaring the nose upward to force the main landing gear onto the ground. It wasn't raining at the time, but dark storm clouds loomed and strong winds were reported. Schiavo said that if the plane had a tail wind, that could have contributed to it floating further down the runway. "A tail wind would certainly add to your troubles if you've already given up a good chunk of the runway by not touching down and landing right away," Schiavo said. …