LIVE FROM MIAMI, FL — The Current News

The five people who lost their lives in Sunday’s devastating cargo-plane crash at Miami International Airport now have names.

And tonight, we know something that makes this tragedy even more heartbreaking:

All five were working.

They were employees of Professional Ocean Service Corp., a company that provides aircraft cleaning services at Miami International Airport.

They were traveling together inside a work van when an Amazon cargo plane overran the runway and slammed into their vehicle.

All five were killed.

The victims have been identified as:

• Rolando Aleman Leon, 55

• Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53

• Julio C. Pineda, 75

• Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53

• Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47

Five names.

Five lives.

Five families now facing a reality they never expected when their loved ones went to work.

THEY WERE SIMPLY DOING THEIR JOB

This detail changes how we look at Sunday’s crash.

These weren’t passengers aboard the aircraft.

They weren’t people who knowingly stepped onto an airplane that afternoon.

They were airport workers traveling in a company van.

Seven Professional Ocean Service employees were inside the Ford Econoline van when the Boeing 767 came off the runway.

Two survived.

Five did not.

The plane, operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon, overran Runway 30 while landing at Miami International Airport.

It struck airport equipment before slamming into the cleaning company’s van.

The aircraft then broke through the airport perimeter and struck another vehicle on Northwest 67th Avenue.

FIVE NAMES WE SHOULD REMEMBER

Rolando Aleman Leon.

Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo.

Julio C. Pineda.

Carlos Acosta Fajardo.

Javierkys Reyes Quevedo.

Tonight, they are more than numbers in a breaking-news headline.

They were employees.

Coworkers.

Friends.

Parents, spouses, relatives and members of their communities.

Their coworkers at Professional Ocean Service Corp. are now mourning the loss of five members of what the company described as a family.

In a statement Tuesday, the company said its employees are “far more than the people who work beside us each day” and asked the public to keep the families in their thoughts and prayers.

THE VAN NEVER HAD A CHANCE

The National Transportation Safety Board has described the crash scene as one of “utter devastation.”

The aircraft traveled approximately 1,300 feet beyond the paved runway surface.

Along the path were debris, damaged navigation equipment, fencing and the destroyed cleaning-company van.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the van was essentially torn apart by the impact.

Seven people had been inside.

Five died.

Two survived.

THE TWO WHO SURVIVED

While five families are grieving, two other Professional Ocean Service employees survived the crash.

They were among the seven people inside the van.

Three other people injured in the overall crash also remain hospitalized, including two who are in critical condition, according to officials.

The pilot and co-pilot aboard the cargo aircraft also survived and have since been released from the hospital after suffering minor injuries.

THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

The identities of the victims provide closure for their families, but investigators are still trying to determine exactly why the crash happened.

The NTSB has recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder and is examining numerous factors, including aircraft speed, weather, aircraft performance, crew actions, air-traffic services and runway safety.

Investigators are also examining the absence of an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) at the end of the runway—although officials have not concluded that its absence caused the crash.

That distinction matters.

The investigation is still underway.

FROM SAN JUAN TO MIAMI

The Boeing 767 had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, carrying only the pilot and co-pilot.

It was the aircraft’s third flight of the day.

Earlier Sunday, it had flown from Cincinnati to Miami and then Miami to San Juan before beginning the flight back to Miami.

The aircraft was landing at Miami when it overran the runway.

Storms were developing in the area, and investigators are examining weather conditions as part of the investigation.

But again, we don’t yet know what caused the crash.

TONIGHT, THE NUMBERS HAVE NAMES

Yesterday, the headline was:

Five dead.

Today, we know who those five people were.

And that makes the story different.

Because “five dead” is a statistic.

Rolando.

Yoel.

Julio.

Carlos.

Javierkys.

Those are people.

Those are families.

Those are five lives that ended while they were simply doing their jobs.

THE CURRENT NEWS BOTTOM LINE

The Miami plane crash has moved from an unfolding emergency to a tragedy with names and faces.

Five Professional Ocean Service Corp. employees were killed when an Amazon cargo plane operated by 21 Air overran the runway at Miami International Airport and struck their work van.

They were:

Rolando Aleman Leon, 55

Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53

Julio C. Pineda, 75

Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53

Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47

All five were in the cleaning crew van.

Two of their coworkers survived.

The investigation into what caused the aircraft to leave the runway continues.

But tonight, before we talk about runway safety, weather, aircraft speed, pilots or federal investigations, we should remember what this story is ultimately about.

Five people went to work.

Five people never made it home.

And tonight, five families are grieving.

May we remember their names.