A Boeing 767 flying for Amazon Prime Air overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing five people on the ground.
Five people were killed and several others were injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon and struck vehicles on the ground. The Boeing 767 was operated by the contract carrier 21 Air and had just arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The crash happened at around 1:58 p.m. local time on September 6. The aircraft, flying as Amazon Prime Air Flight 7598, came off the end of a runway at high speed, crossed the airport boundary and came to rest with its tail extending over the perimeter fence. Video from the scene showed thick black smoke rising from the wreckage as emergency crews arrived and traffic backed up nearby.
According to Miami-Dade officials, five people on the ground were killed and five others were injured, with some in critical condition. The dead were struck by the aircraft as it left the runway and crossed into the area beyond the airfield. The plane had completed a routine cargo run from Puerto Rico before the accident occurred during the landing phase.
Miami Airport Plane Crash Response and Fuel Leak
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the crash. Crews battled the blaze and worked to contain a fuel leak from the damaged aircraft, which officials said fed the fire and heavy smoke seen in footage shared online. The volume of fuel on board made the containment effort a priority for responders as they secured the area.
All runways and taxiways at Miami International Airport were closed at 3:00 p.m. as the response continued. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop that was initially set to lift at 3 p.m. and was later extended to 5:30 p.m. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned travelers of significant delays and possible cancellations while operations were halted. The disruption landed during the busy Labor Day travel period, one of the heaviest stretches of the year for United States air travel, and rippled out to flights well beyond Florida as diversions piled up.
Fire crews remained on site for hours after the crash to fully extinguish the fire and secure the wreckage. Officials worked to account for everyone in the path of the aircraft as they combed the area where it came to rest.
Amazon Prime Air Flight Crash Investigation Begins
The FAA said it would investigate the crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board opened its own inquiry into the accident. Investigators are expected to examine the landing, the condition and length of the runway and possible weather factors, including reports of thunderstorms in the area around the time of the crash. A runway overrun of this kind typically draws close scrutiny of approach speed, braking and surface conditions.
Amazon responded to the incident with a short statement. A company spokesperson said the priority was the safety, well-being and care of everyone involved. The aircraft was operating on Amazon’s behalf under 21 Air, one of several contract carriers that fly cargo for the Prime Air network rather than under Amazon’s own certificate.
The crew count and the identities of those killed on the ground had not been released as officials continued to work the scene. The accident marks one of the more serious cargo aviation incidents at a major United States airport in recent years. Both the FAA and the NTSB are expected to release preliminary findings once the initial phase of the investigation is complete.
