Five killed when Amazon cargo jet overshoots Miami runway
Federal investigators are expected to focus on weather, pilot decisions and the aircraft’s landing gear after an Amazon-contracted cargo plane crashed at Miami International Airport on Sunday, Sept. 6, killing five people and injuring five others.
The Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air as Flight 2I7598, had just arrived from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it overran the runway about 1:54 p.m. local time. It struck several vehicles before coming to rest in an area west of the airfield, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said first responders found five people dead at the scene. Three of the injured were in critical condition and were taken to area hospitals, while the other two were treated at the scene. Around 60 emergency units responded to the crash, and crews worked to contain a fuel leak from the aircraft, Jadallah said.
Audio from emergency radio traffic captured the urgency of the moment. “The plane is on fire. The plane is on fire. Put your game face on guys,” one crew member is heard saying.
The crash scattered debris across a roadway and crushed at least one vehicle near the western side of the airport. Investigators have not yet determined why the freighter, which was traveling at 129 mph, failed to stop before reaching the end of the runway.
The FAA issued a ground stop at Miami International Airport shortly after the accident at 2:02 p.m., and airport officials warned travelers to expect significant delays and cancellations as holiday weekend traffic was already at its peak. The airport reopened later Sunday, though lingering disruptions were expected into Monday.
In a statement, Amazon said it was heartbroken by the loss of life and was cooperating with officials. “The airplane, which was operated by 21 Air, was attempting to land when this incident occurred,” the company said. “We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to learn more.”
21 Air, the cargo carrier based in Miami, also expressed condolences and said it was cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA and local authorities. The NTSB will lead the investigation and was expected to provide an update Monday.
Aviation experts said investigators will likely examine whether the crew touched down within the designated landing zone — the first roughly 3,000 feet of the runway — and, if not, why they did not initiate a go-around. Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines pilot and aviation expert, said such low-altitude decisions will be central to the probe. “If it did land beyond the touchdown zone, why didn’t it go around?” he told ABC News.
Weather could also factor in. Flight-tracking data showed thunderstorms and winds of 17 knots, gusting to 26 knots, in the area at the time. Mary Schiavo, a former Transportation Department inspector general and aviation expert, said a tailwind may have lengthened the aircraft’s stopping distance. “A tailwind 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,” she told the Associated Press.
Investigators also are likely to examine the collapsed landing gear that was visible after the plane came to rest. Pablo Rojas, an attorney who handles plane crash litigation, told the Miami Herald that the aircraft’s nose was dipping down, but said it was unclear whether the gear failure occurred early enough to contribute to the crash or was simply a consequence of the impact.
The accident has also renewed questions about whether Miami International Airport is equipped with an engineered materials arresting system, a safety bed of crushable concrete used to safely stop aircraft that overrun runways. Such systems are installed at more than 120 airports nationwide and have been credited by the FAA with saving at least 497 lives. Neither the airport nor the FAA has publicly specified whether such a system was available at the runway involved in Sunday’s incident.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said her office will conduct a separate investigation into the five deaths while the NTSB and FAA determine the cause of the crash.