Amazon cargo jet overruns Miami runway, five killed and flight recorders recovered

Five people were killed and five others seriously injured when an Amazon-operated Boeing 767-300 cargo plane, flown by 21 Air, overran a runway at Miami International Airport shortly before 14:00 local time on Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said. The aircraft had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on its third flight of the day and carried two crew members.

The jet struck navigational aids and airport equipment after overrunning the runway, then hit a white Ford van owned by a contract cleaning company and a Toyota Corolla beyond the airport perimeter, coming to rest about 1,300 feet (394 meters) past the runway. Investigators described the scene as devastating, with debris from the aircraft, vehicles and fencing scattered across the area.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said recovery of victims remains the priority and that the investigation is still in the fact-finding stage. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered and are being sent to NTSB headquarters for evaluation.

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Investigators will examine flight history, crew experience and training, radar data and aircraft performance. Separate teams will inspect the plane’s systems and engines while a meteorologist assesses weather conditions at the time of landing. The NTSB will also evaluate whether an engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) should have been in place on the runway.

Homendy emphasized that substantive conclusions cannot yet be drawn as evidence collection and scene access continue. The agency has appealed for public photographs or video that could aid the investigation and said safety recommendations will follow at the conclusion of its work.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Five people were killed and five seriously injured when a 21 Air-operated Boeing 767-300 overshot Miami runway.
• Flight data and cockpit voice recorders were recovered and sent to NTSB headquarters for analysis.
• Investigators are examining crew records, aircraft systems, radar data, weather and whether an EMAS system was needed.