Amazon Prime Air Crash at Miami International: NTSB Investigates Runway Overrun on Flight from San Juan

An Amazon Prime Air cargo flight that departed San Juan overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, September 6, killing five people on the ground and injuring five others — a tragedy that strikes close to home for Puerto Rico's aviation community, as the aircraft had just departed Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

What happened

At approximately 1:53 p.m. ET, Amazon Air Flight 7598 — a Boeing 767-300 operated by Miami-based 21 Air LLC — overran the end of Runway 30 while landing at MIA. It was the aircraft's third leg of the day, flying Cincinnati → Miami → San Juan → Miami, with two crew members aboard.

After leaving the paved runway surface, the aircraft traveled roughly 1,300 feet, colliding with a 2012 Ford Econoline van carrying seven aircraft-cleaning company employees inside the airport perimeter, then crossing the perimeter fence and striking a Toyota Corolla Cross SUV on Northwest 67th Avenue. All five people killed were in the van; the aircraft's two pilots were treated and released. Preliminary Flightradar24 data shows the plane traveling about 128 mph as it left the runway.

The investigation

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy described the scene as "devastating, utter devastation." A team of 32 NTSB investigators is documenting the scene and collecting perishable evidence, and the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered and sent to NTSB labs. Investigators will examine crew training, company procedures, air traffic control transmissions, aircraft components, and weather conditions; no probable cause will be determined while on scene.

Watch the NTSB's live news conference via the link below.

Weekly Update — September 9, 2026

At a Tuesday news conference, the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office identified the five workers killed in the crash: Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Narajo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierk Reyes Quevedo, 47. All five were employees of Professional Ocean Service Corporation, an aircraft-cleaning contractor, and all were in the van the aircraft struck. Three people remain hospitalized — two in critical condition and one in stable — and both pilots have been treated and released.

The NTSB confirmed the aircraft came to rest roughly 1,300 feet past the runway in a fenced parking lot where Tesla Robotaxi vehicles were being staged. New details about the aircraft have also emerged: the jet, registered N1997A and named "Amazon One," was a 32-year-old Boeing 767 converted to a freighter in 2016, powered by General Electric CF6 engines. Weather at the time of the landing was reported as light thunderstorms and gusting winds, and a CNN review of air traffic control audio found the pilots did not declare an emergency before landing.

Operationally, the FAA's ground stop at MIA was lifted by early evening on the day of the crash, but the disruption was significant: FlightAware logged more than 160 cancelled flights and roughly 325 delays, with some inbound diversions routed to Orlando. The NTSB's 32-person team is continuing scene documentation and evidence collection, with the flight data and cockpit voice recorders now at NTSB laboratories for evaluation. PRBAA will continue to post weekly updates as the investigation progresses.

Weekly Update — September 14, 2026

Federal investigators have released the first preliminary findings from the recovered flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder following the September 6 runway excursion of 21 Air Flight 7598 at Miami International Airport. In an investigative update issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (case number DCA26MA352), agency specialists confirmed that both the solid-state flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were successfully downloaded at the NTSB's Vehicle Recorder Laboratory in Washington, D.C.

Critically, the NTSB revealed that initial flight data recorder readout showed no indication that the Boeing 767's speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed during the landing rollout. The agency noted that the cockpit voice recorder captured more than two hours of high-quality four-channel audio, while the flight data recorder documented roughly 54 hours of data across over 400 parameters. A specialized CVR group will convene at NTSB headquarters to review the recording in detail and assemble an official transcript as the investigation into operational decisions and aircraft systems continues.

Weekly Update — September 21, 2026

On September 9, 2026, the National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary investigative update indicating that data from the flight data recorder showed no signs that the aircraft's speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed during the landing sequence. Subsequently, on September 14, 2026, Amazon announced it has suspended its partnership with 21 Air, the cargo carrier operating the flight, while the investigation into the circumstances of the crash continues.

Weekly Update — September 28, 2026

On September 9, 2026, the NTSB released a preliminary investigative update detailing data recovered from the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The data revealed that the aircraft touched down at a groundspeed of 158 knots and that the flight crew attempted a go-around approximately 15 seconds after touchdown. Notably, the FDR indicated that neither the speed brakes nor the thrust reversers were deployed during the landing sequence. The CVR transcript showed that the crew discussed the aircraft's excessive speed during the approach, though there was no consistent verbal response to these concerns. Following the accident, Amazon announced on September 14, 2026, that it has paused all cargo operations with 21 Air while the investigation continues.

Preliminary Report — October 1, 2026

On October 1, 2026, the NTSB released its preliminary report on the accident (DCA26MA352). The report confirmed final injury counts: the two crewmembers sustained minor injuries, while five people on the ground were fatally injured and three sustained serious injuries. ADS-B and flight data recorder data showed the airplane crossing the runway 30 threshold about 105 feet above ground level at 177 knots, touching down about 3,750 feet past the displaced threshold at 160 knots, and crossing the departure end of the runway at 113 knots. The 767 impacted the runway 12 localizer antenna and approach lighting system at about 100 knots before coming to rest about 1,200 feet beyond the paved surface; the last recorded groundspeed was 65 knots, reached after the airplane struck the perimeter fence, a Ford Econoline van on the airport perimeter road, and a Toyota Corolla Cross on Northwest 67th Avenue.

The report also documented weather at the time of landing: winds from 190 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 26 knots, with thunderstorms in the area. It noted that runway 30 has no engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) at its departure end. On crew experience, the captain was hired by 21 Air in April 2026, held about 7,267 total flight hours with 150 hours in the Boeing 767, received his 767 type rating on May 18, 2026, and had flown a Bogota round-trip that arrived the morning of the accident. The first officer held about 2,800 total hours with 800 in the 767. The accident flight was the crew's second flight of the day and only the second time they had flown together. The 1994-built aircraft had accumulated about 110,077 flight hours and 24,505 cycles.

The NTSB emphasized that the preliminary report contains factual information only, that the investigation is ongoing, and that no probable cause has been determined. The full preliminary report is available as a PDF via the link below.

Weekly Update — October 5, 2026

On September 9, 2026, the NTSB released a preliminary investigative update detailing data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR). The data indicates that during the final approach, the first officer cautioned the captain that the aircraft was traveling too fast. The FDR shows the aircraft touched down at a groundspeed of 158 knots, and while the crew attempted a go-around by increasing thrust 15 seconds after touchdown, the throttles were subsequently reduced to idle and brakes were re-applied. The NTSB noted that there was no indication that speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed during the landing attempt. Following the incident, Amazon announced in early October 2026 that it has paused its cargo operations with 21 Air while the investigation continues. Additionally, the NTSB has invoked federal regulations prohibiting unsolicited communication from attorneys to victims or their families regarding potential litigation for 45 days following the accident.

Weekly Update — October 12, 2026

Following the September 6, 2026, runway excursion of 21 Air Flight 7598, the NTSB released a preliminary report on October 1, 2026, revealing that the first officer had expressed concerns regarding the aircraft's speed during the landing approach. The report noted that the flight crew, who were flying together for the first time, encountered strong winds associated with local thunderstorms. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft landed on Runway 30 and overran the pavement by approximately 1,200 feet before striking ground vehicles and exiting the airport perimeter. In response to the incident, Amazon announced on September 14, 2026, that it had paused all operations with the cargo carrier 21 Air while the investigation remains ongoing. Additionally, the crash has prompted multiple lawsuits in Florida alleging negligence by 21 Air, Amazon, and other associated parties.

Weekly Update — October 19, 2026

On September 9, 2026, the NTSB released preliminary data from the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), revealing that the aircraft's speed brakes and thrust reversers were not deployed during the landing sequence. The FDR data indicated that the throttles were briefly increased to go-around thrust before being reduced to idle power as the plane neared the end of the runway. Subsequently, on October 1, 2026, the NTSB issued its formal preliminary report, which confirmed the aircraft touched down at 184 mph approximately three-quarters of a mile past the start of the runway. Following the release of these findings, Amazon suspended its partnership with 21 Air, and multiple lawsuits have been filed by the families of the victims.

Weekly Update — October 26, 2026

On September 9, 2026, the NTSB released preliminary data from the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The data revealed that the Boeing 767 touched down on Runway 30 at 158 knots. Investigators noted that the flight crew initiated a go-around procedure but subsequently reversed course before the aircraft overran the runway. The NTSB has since issued a formal preliminary report (DCA26MA352) confirming these details and documenting that the aircraft sustained substantial damage, including a post-crash fire on the right wing. Additionally, Amazon announced it has paused operations with 21 Air LLC while the investigation remains ongoing.