Five people lost their lives on Sunday afternoon when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran the runway at Miami International Airport, struck multiple vehicles, and caught fire.
Five others were injured. Three of them were in critical condition and taken to a trauma center. Two more were hospitalised with less severe injuries.
It’s a devastating accident. And the investigation into what caused it is only just beginning.
What Happened
Prime Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 operated by North Carolina-based 21 Air on behalf of Amazon, departed Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday morning.
The aircraft overran Runway 30 at Miami International at approximately 1:58 p.m. ET. It struck several vehicles near the 2100 block of Northwest 42nd Avenue, came to rest in a field outside the airport’s operational boundary, and caught fire.
More than 60 fire units and around 200 personnel from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded. Some victims were trapped in vehicles. Specialised technical rescue crews were needed to extricate at least one person. The pilots and co-pilots were also trapped in the cockpit.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the deaths at a Sunday evening press conference.
Amazon said it was heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives, and extended its deepest sympathies to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by the tragedy.
The Aircraft
The Boeing 767-300 involved is 32 years old. It originally flew as a passenger aircraft before being converted to a cargo configuration in 2015.
Boeing issued a statement expressing condolences and confirmed it is supporting the investigation.
The FAA confirmed the flight details and noted that no Mayday calls were made before landing. CNN Transportation Analyst Mary Schiavo explained that the crew did not report any known problems to air traffic control before the approach. Some issues, she noted, would not be known until the moment of touchdown.
The Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a full investigation, led by NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. Investigators will examine four areas: the piloting of the aircraft, the condition of the airfield, weather conditions at the time of landing, and the mechanical state of the plane.
One detail already drawing attention is that Miami International’s runways are not equipped with EMAS, which stands for Engineered Material Arresting Systems. These are pads of crushable material placed at runway ends to stop overrunning aircraft before they leave airport boundaries.
Schiavo noted that for an airport as congested as Miami, surrounded by population, buildings, and freeways, the absence of this safety system is worth examining. That is likely to be a significant thread in what follows.
Airport Disruption
The crash triggered a roughly three-hour ground stop at Miami International. Two runways were subsequently reopened, but as of Sunday night, average flight delays into the airport were running at around six and a half hours.
Passengers travelling through Miami on Sunday faced significant disruption, with many rebooked onto alternative flights.
The Air Cargo Safety Context
Runway overruns are one of the most studied categories of aviation accidents. They can result from multiple factors, including excessive approach speed, braking system issues, runway contamination, or a combination of these. The NTSB investigation will work through each systematically.
For the air cargo industry, accidents of this kind typically prompt safety reviews across operators using similar aircraft types. The Boeing 767-300 is widely used in cargo conversion roles globally, including across Amazon Air’s broader network. The industry will be watching the NTSB’s preliminary findings closely.
It is important to note that investigations of this scale take months. Drawing conclusions about cause before the process completes would be premature.
Bottom Line
Five people are gone. Families are grieving. The investigation will take time, and the facts will emerge through that process.
The emergency response was large-scale and fast. The airport has partially reopened. The NTSB is on the ground with a full team.
We will continue to track this story as the investigation develops.
Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives, and with those recovering from injuries.
Sources: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Amazon spokesperson statement, Boeing statement.
