Miami Cargo Plane Crash Investigation Begins

Five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon cargo aircraft overran the runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday. The Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the third flight of the day with two crew members aboard. After leaving the runway, the aircraft struck navigational equipment and a white Ford cleaning van carrying seven people. It then broke through the airport perimeter fence and hit a Toyota Corolla containing three people, coming to rest about 1,300 feet beyond the runway. Investigators have not yet said how many victims were in each vehicle or provided an update on the condition of the aircraft’s crew. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, described the crash site as “utter devastation” and said recovering victims was the immediate priority. The NTSB has recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders and will examine the aircraft’s systems and engines, the crew’s experience and training, radar data, flight history, aircraft performance and weather conditions. Investigators will also assess whether the runway should have been equipped with an engineered materials arresting system, which can help stop aircraft that overrun a runway. BBC Verify found that an active thunderstorm was near the airport shortly before the crash, with wind gusts reaching 26 knots. However, officials said it was too early to identify a cause. The NTSB has asked the public to submit photographs or videos that may assist the investigation and said it would issue safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents. Two of Miami airport’s four runways remained closed, and passengers were warned of continuing disruption after cancellations affected aircraft and crew movements during the busy Labor Day holiday weekend. Amazon and 21 Air expressed condolences and said they were cooperating with authorities.

Investigators have recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from an Amazon cargo plane that crashed while landing at Miami International Airport, but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says recovering victims remains the immediate priority. Five people were killed and five seriously injured when the Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air, overran the runway shortly before 14:00 local time on Sunday. The aircraft struck navigational equipment, a white Ford van carrying seven people, and a Toyota Corolla with three occupants before stopping about 1,300ft beyond the runway. NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said investigators were still gathering evidence and could not yet determine the cause. The aircraft had two crew members and was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on its third flight of the day. Investigators will examine the plane’s flight history, crew training and experience, radar data, aircraft performance, systems, engines and the weather. They will also assess whether the runway should have had an engineered materials arresting system, or EMAS, designed to stop aircraft that overrun the runway. BBC Verify found that an active thunderstorm was near the airport before the crash, with wind gusts reaching 26 knots, although the NTSB has not drawn conclusions about the weather’s role. The agency is asking the public to submit photographs or videos that may help the investigation and says it will issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents. Two of Miami International Airport’s four runways remained closed, causing further disruption after cancellations affected aircraft and crew movements during the busy Labor Day holiday weekend. Amazon and 21 Air expressed condolences and said they were cooperating with authorities.

Investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane that overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday. The accident killed five people on the ground and injured five others, including three who were critically hurt. The aircraft was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-33A operated by Miami-based 21 Air LLC. It reportedly ran approximately 396 metres (1,300 feet) beyond the runway before striking two vehicles. One was an Econoline van on airport property carrying seven members of an airline cleaning crew. The other was a Toyota SUV travelling on a road outside the airport’s perimeter fence. The plane’s pilot and co-pilot survived the crash and had not yet been interviewed when NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy briefed reporters. Homendy said the recovered recorders were being transported to the NTSB’s headquarters in Washington for examination. The devices may provide information about the aircraft’s performance, cockpit communications and events leading up to the runway overrun. Homendy was leading a team of 32 investigators at Miami International Airport. She described the crash site as showing “utter devastation” and said the investigation remained in its early stages. Although investigators were examining the wreckage, the aircraft’s operation and the circumstances surrounding the landing, she cautioned that no probable cause would be determined until the inquiry was complete. The recovery of the black boxes is an important early development, but the article does not identify a suspected cause. The investigation is expected to consider the aircraft’s flight data, cockpit communications, runway overrun, impact with the two vehicles and the circumstances that resulted in the deaths and injuries on the ground.

Investigators with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane that crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sept 6, 2026. The 32-year-old Boeing 767-33A, operated by Miami-based 21 Air LLC, overran the runway by approximately 396 metres and struck two vehicles, killing five people on the ground. One vehicle was an Econoline van carrying seven members of an airline cleaning crew, while the other was a Toyota SUV travelling on Northwest 67th Avenue beyond the airport perimeter fence. Five people were injured, three critically. The pilot and co-pilot survived, but had not yet been interviewed when NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy briefed reporters. Homendy said the recorders were being sent to the NTSB’s headquarters in Washington for evaluation. She cautioned that investigators were still gathering and documenting evidence and that a probable cause would not be determined until the investigation was complete. A team of 32 investigators was examining the crash site, while crews continued removing jet fuel from the aircraft and surrounding area. Two of the airport’s four runways remained closed during the investigation, although flights resumed by the evening of Sept 7 after the airport had temporarily halted operations. Homendy described the crash scene as “utter devastation,” with tyre marks extending through the grass, widespread debris, a destroyed van and damaged vehicles. Reuters photographs showed the aircraft’s nose on the ground, its tail raised and apparent scorch marks on its right side. Investigators will also examine the significance of the runway’s lack of an Engineered Materials Arresting System, a device designed to stop aircraft that overrun runways. Homendy asked members of the public to submit photographs and videos that could assist the investigation.

Investigators have recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from an Amazon cargo plane that overran the runway at Miami International Airport, killing five people. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the recorders could provide crucial information about the aircraft’s speed and the circumstances surrounding the crash. All five victims were in a van and an SUV outside airport property when they were struck by the Boeing 767. The van, owned by airline cleaning contractor Professional Ocean Service Corp., was carrying seven people. Homendy described the crash site as “utter devastation” and said the van had been “torn apart.” Three people were critically injured, while two others were hospitalized with severe injuries. Federal investigators are examining whether the aircraft touched down too late to stop safely. Video footage appears to show the jet remaining airborne well down the runway before landing. Investigators will determine the precise touchdown location, whether it was beyond the normal touchdown zone, and why the pilots did not abort the landing. They will also assess the aircraft’s speed, braking performance, weather and wind conditions, mechanical condition, and other possible contributing factors. The plane had flown from Cincinnati to Miami and then continued to San Juan, Puerto Rico, before returning to Miami. It overran the runway at about 2 p.m., crossing a road used by warehouse workers and businesses near the airport. The crash produced thick black smoke, trapped the pilot and copilot in the cockpit, and left people trapped in vehicles. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews also freed a person trapped beneath a vehicle. The NTSB said it would release additional information the following day, potentially including speed data from the recovered flight recorder.