Amazon cargo jet overruns Miami runway, five dead

Five people are dead and five more injured after a cargo plane operating for Amazon overran the runway and crashed into parked vehicles while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, one of the deadliest air cargo accidents in the US in recent years.

The Boeing 767-300 converted freighter, operated on Amazon's behalf by North Carolina-based charter company 21 Air, had just completed a flight from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it overran Runway 30 while landing at 13:53 local time, striking several vehicles parked near the airport before coming to rest, According to the FlightRadar24.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the fatalities at a Sunday evening news conference. "At least five people have lost their lives, and five others are injured," she said, adding that rescue crews reached the scene within seconds of the crash. "Right now, our focus is on the families, those who were injured, and the ongoing response." She thanked the county's fire rescue team, sheriff's office, and all first responders involved, and said further updates would follow as information is confirmed.

The Miami-Dade County Mayor also confirmed at the briefing that there was no apparent broader threat to public safety, though the area remained an active scene. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Homicide Bureau will lead the death investigation, working alongside local and federal partners, who each have separate components of the broader investigation to complete.

Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said the department received an Alert 3, signalling a confirmed aircraft accident from the Miami International Airport tower just before 2 pm, describing the response as "a very complex situation." Three of the five injured were in critical condition, with several people trapped inside or under vehicles on the ground, requiring a complex extrication operation by the department's technical rescue team. Crews simultaneously worked to contain fire across multiple compartments of the aircraft while conducting a search and rescue for the pilot and co-pilot, who were trapped inside.

More than 200 firefighters and 60 fire apparatuses responded to the scene. Jadallah said the flames were extinguished, though a fuel leak remained at the site, and noted that response units arrived within roughly 30 seconds of the initial call.

Miami officials confirmed that the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash itself, with neither agency present at Sunday's briefing to issue statements directly. The NTSB has launched a Go Team to investigate the crash and is expected to hold its first briefing on September 7.

The flight-tracking service FlightRadar24 reported the aircraft, operating as flight CSB7598, departed San Juan at 15:42 UTC and touched down in Miami at 17:53 UTC, 13:53 local time after a flight time of 2 hours and 11 minutes. ADS-B tracking data showed the aircraft's speed at 112 knots around 129 mph, or 207 km/h as it exited the usable area of the runway, with the last received speed recorded at 69 knots. The aircraft overran Runway 30 and came to rest disabled near a parking lot serving an Amazon warehouse and other nearby businesses, before catching fire, having also struck several vehicles on the ground. Officials identified the aircraft as Prime Air Flight 7598. Light thunderstorms and gusting winds were reported in the Miami area at the time of the incident, and FlightRadar24 compared CSB7598's flight path against four other flights that landed on Runway 30 in the preceding hours, including a LATAM Cargo 767 that landed approximately 20 minutes before the accident flight.

The aircraft itself is 32 years old, having flown as a passenger carrier with various airlines from 1994 to 2015, before being converted to cargo configuration.

Amazon issued two separate statements as the situation developed. In an initial statement at 1:58 pm local time, company spokesperson Kelly Nantel said: "We can confirm that an Amazon Air plane operated by 21 Air experienced an incident while attempting to land at Miami International Airport today. This is a fast-moving situation and we're still gathering details. We're working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened. Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved. We're doing everything we can to support those affected."

Following confirmation of the fatalities, Nantel issued a further statement: "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. The airplane, which was operated by 21 Air, was attempting to land when this incident occurred. We're working closely with local authorities and officials to learn more and will cooperate fully with any investigation."

Both the FAA and NTSB have confirmed they will lead the formal investigation into the crash, working to determine the precise cause behind the runway overrun. Until that investigation concludes, officials say the exact sequence of events, including what caused the aircraft to overshoot the runway and the specific circumstances surrounding the fatalities, remains unconfirmed.