Five people died and five were injured Sunday when a Boeing 767 cargo jet operating for Amazon overran the runway at Miami International Airport, crashed through a perimeter fence and service road, and struck multiple vehicles before catching fire. The aircraft, 21 Air flight 7598, had departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and landed at approximately 2 p.m. local time on runway 30. Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz confirmed the five fatalities, and County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava reported five injuries, including both pilots, whose conditions are unspecified. More than sixty fire units responded to the blaze, which created a dense smoke column visible throughout the city. The airport closed all runways and taxiways during the Labor Day weekend, disrupting air travel.
The aircraft, a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter, is operated by 21 Air, an independent cargo carrier contracted by Amazon Air, which does not hold its own air operator certificate for these services. Amazon confirmed the flight was operating on its behalf, as its air network runs around 250 flights daily across four continents. Investigators are focusing on whether the plane touched down too late to stop safely, according to reports. Video of the landing shows the aircraft remaining airborne well down the runway before touchdown. Aviation experts suggest investigators will determine the exact touchdown point and why pilots didn’t initiate a go-around if it occurred beyond the normal landing zone.
At the time of the landing, airfield weather records indicated a thunderstorm with winds of 17 knots gusting to 26 and cumulonimbus formations at 2,000 feet, though no connection to the accident has been established. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate, with the National Transportation Safety Board expected to lead the investigation given the severity of the incident. A similar accident occurred in February 2019, when a Boeing 767 operated by Atlas Air for Amazon crashed into a bay in Texas, killing three crew members; that investigation attributed the crash to pilot error. The current investigation has not begun.
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy