An Amazon Air cargo plane operated by 21 Air overran a runway at Miami International Airport on September 6, 2026, killing five people on the ground and injuring five others. The Boeing 767-33A was arriving in Miami from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it failed to stop on Runway 30 and continued beyond the runway before colliding with vehicles outside the airport.
The aircraft was carrying only its two pilots, both of whom survived the accident. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the plane traveled approximately 1,300 feet beyond the end of the runway. It struck a cleaning-crew van and another vehicle before coming to a stop. A fire broke out following the collisions, prompting a large emergency response at the airport.
The five people who died were occupants of the vehicles struck by the aircraft, according to the NTSB. Five additional people were injured, including three who were initially reported to be in critical condition. More than 60 fire-rescue units responded to the scene as emergency crews dealt with the aircraft, fire and damaged vehicles.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 767-33A that was approximately 32 years old. It was operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air. The aircraft had previously been used as a passenger aircraft before being converted for cargo operations in 2015.
The NTSB has launched a formal investigation into the accident. A 32-member investigative team has been deployed to examine the aircraft, runway, weather conditions, flight operations, air-traffic-control communications and other factors surrounding the accident. Investigators are also examining the aircraft’s mechanical systems and the performance of its braking systems.
Both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered. The recorders have been transported to Washington for further examination. Their data is expected to provide investigators with information about the aircraft’s speed, altitude, flight path, cockpit communications and other operating conditions before the runway overrun.
Investigators are also examining the absence of an Engineered Materials Arresting System, or EMAS, at the end of Runway 30. EMAS is designed to help stop aircraft that run beyond a runway by using specially engineered materials that slow an aircraft’s movement. The NTSB has indicated that the system’s absence will be part of its investigation. However, authorities have not said that the lack of EMAS caused or contributed to the crash.
Preliminary information has also prompted investigators to examine the aircraft’s speed and landing performance. Early data indicated that the aircraft was traveling at approximately 129 mph when it left the runway. However, the NTSB has not determined whether excessive speed, the aircraft’s touchdown point, weather, mechanical problems, crew actions or any combination of factors contributed to the accident.
The crash temporarily disrupted operations at Miami International Airport. All four runways were initially affected, and the airport experienced flight delays and cancellations. Two runways had reopened as investigators continued working at the crash site.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the NTSB has not yet determined a probable cause. Investigators are expected to spend additional time documenting the crash site, examining evidence and analyzing information from the flight recorders before reaching conclusions about what caused the Boeing 767 to overrun the runway.
