Five Fatalities as Amazon Cargo Jet Overshoots Miami Runway in Miami

A tragic incident unfolded at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon when an Amazon Air cargo plane overshot its landing strip, claiming the lives of five individuals and leaving five others injured. The Boeing 767-300 aircraft, which had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed shortly before 2 p.m. local time.

The plane veered off the runway, collided with several vehicles on the ground, and subsequently erupted in flames. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the casualties during a news conference, stating, “At least five people have lost their lives, and five others are injured.” She lauded the swift response of emergency crews, who arrived at the crash site within “seconds.” Mayor Cava emphasized, “Right now, our focus is on the families, those who were injured, and the ongoing response.”

Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah reported that three of the five injured individuals were in critical condition, and all were transported to a hospital. Many of the injured required extrication by fire and rescue personnel, having been trapped within or beneath vehicles impacted by the crash. Over 200 firefighters were deployed to the scene, where they battled intense flames and thick smoke. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue described encountering “an airplane that had caught on fire as a result of this crash, with heavy flames and smoke showing.” While the fire was eventually brought under control, Chief Jadallah noted the persistence of a fuel leak at the site.

In response to the emergency, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a grounding order for flights, leading to widespread cancellations and delays during the busy Labor Day holiday weekend, a peak travel period in the United States. The ill-fated aircraft was operating an Amazon cargo flight on behalf of 21 Air, a charter airline based in North Carolina. Miami International Airport confirmed that the plane “overran Miami International Airport's diagonal runway and is disabled at the northwest end of the airport.”

The exact cause of the accident remains unknown. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to launch a comprehensive investigation, with a news conference scheduled for Monday, September 7. Amazon expressed its condolences to those affected and pledged full cooperation with authorities. Kelly Nantel, Amazon’s Director of Corporate Global Media Relations, stated, “We're heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today's incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.” She added that the company is “working closely with local authorities and officials to learn more and will cooperate fully with any investigation.” 21 Air had not issued a statement at the time of the original report.

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated the aircraft was traveling at approximately 112 knots (about 129 mph) as it departed the usable section of the runway, ultimately coming to rest near a parking lot serving an Amazon warehouse and other businesses. The service also reported light thunderstorms and gusting winds in Miami around the time of the crash, though officials have not confirmed if weather conditions were a contributing factor. The incident severely disrupted operations at Miami International Airport, with passengers facing cancellations, delays, and extensive queues as they attempted to rebook their travel plans during a period when the Transportation Security Administration projected around 17 million travelers would pass through US airports, including an estimated 2.3 million on Sunday, September 6. Miami International Airport is a critical hub for both passenger and cargo traffic, particularly connecting the US with Latin America and the Caribbean.