Federal investigators recovered the flight recorders as they examined why the Boeing 767 traveled about 1,300 feet beyond the paved runway.
MIAMI — Five people were killed and five others were injured when an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, struck two vehicles and caught fire, federal and local officials said.
The Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air for Amazon’s Prime Air network, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it went beyond Runway 30 at about 2 p.m. Sept. 6. The National Transportation Safety Board said the aircraft traveled about 1,300 feet beyond the paved surface, hitting airport equipment, a van carrying seven airline cleaning workers and an SUV traveling outside the airport perimeter. The cause of the overrun remained under investigation Monday.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the five people who died were in the two vehicles struck by the aircraft. Officials had not provided a detailed breakdown showing how many fatalities occurred in each vehicle. Five other people were injured, including three who were reported in critical condition and two who suffered less severe injuries. The pilot and co-pilot survived the crash and had not yet been interviewed by investigators as of Monday.
The van, a Ford Econoline owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp., was carrying seven people who worked for the company, which provides cleaning services to airlines, investigators said. After striking the van and airport navigation equipment, the aircraft continued through a perimeter fence and hit a Toyota SUV traveling on Northwest 67th Avenue. Emergency crews responded to fires, damaged vehicles and leaking jet fuel while rescue workers worked to reach people trapped after the crash.
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units and about 200 personnel responded to the emergency. The crash initially forced airport officials to halt flight operations while firefighters and other responders secured the area. Flights began resuming Sunday evening, but two of the airport’s four runways remained closed Monday as investigators documented evidence and crews continued work around the damaged aircraft. The closures contributed to cancellations and delays extending into the next day.
Investigators recovered the aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder Monday and were sending both devices to the NTSB laboratory in Washington for analysis. Homendy said information from the recorders could help investigators establish the jet’s speed, aircraft performance and crew actions during the approach and landing. She said the agency would not determine a probable cause during its initial work at the crash site.
The NTSB sent a team of 32 investigators and specialists to Miami. Their work will examine several areas, including the flight crew’s actions, aircraft systems and engines, air traffic control, weather, runway conditions and factors affecting survival. Investigators are also expected to determine exactly where the aircraft touched down and how much runway remained when its wheels reached the surface. Video of the landing appeared to show the aircraft remaining airborne well down the runway, but investigators had not announced an official finding about its touchdown point.
Independent flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated the aircraft was moving at about 112 knots as it left the usable runway area. Homendy said investigators would use information from the recovered flight data recorder to establish reliable speed and performance figures. Weather observations around the time of the crash showed thunderstorms and gusting winds at Miami International Airport, but federal investigators had not determined whether weather played a role.
The investigation will also examine safety protections beyond the runway. Miami International Airport does not have an Engineered Materials Arresting System at the end of Runway 30. Such systems use crushable material to slow aircraft that overrun pavement. A former Federal Aviation Administration airport safety official told The Associated Press that Miami appeared to meet federal requirements because the runway has a 1,000-foot safety area. The NTSB had reached no conclusion Monday about whether runway design or the lack of an arresting system contributed to the deaths.
The 32-year-old aircraft had originally flown as a passenger jet before being converted for cargo operations in 2015. It had completed two other flights earlier Sunday, traveling from Cincinnati to Miami and then from Miami to San Juan before beginning the return trip to South Florida. The FAA identified the aircraft as 21 Air Flight 7598 and said it would investigate, with the NTSB taking the lead in providing updates on the crash investigation.
Amazon expressed condolences to the families and others affected by the crash and said it would cooperate with investigators. As of Monday evening, no official cause had been announced. Investigators were continuing to preserve evidence at the airport, analyze the recovered recorders and document the aircraft and surrounding crash path while two runways remained closed.
Author note: Last updated September 7, 2026.