Five Killed as Amazon Cargo Jet Overruns Runway at Miami International Airport

MIAMI — Five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway after landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, crashing through a perimeter fence and striking vehicles on an adjacent road before catching fire, officials said.

The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 operated for Amazon by Miami-based contractor 21 Air, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, as Flight 7598. The Federal Aviation Administration said it overran Runway 30 after landing at about 2 p.m.

Victims on the Ground

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz confirmed the five deaths at an evening news briefing. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the injured were in critical condition and were taken to a trauma center, while two others were taken to a local hospital. Several of the casualties were on the ground rather than aboard the aircraft.

After leaving the airport property, the jet crossed Northwest 67th Avenue and struck multiple vehicles, according to fire officials. Reports indicated that one of the vehicles was a van carrying airport cleaning contractors. Images from the scene showed crushed cars tangled in sections of the fence that separates the airfield from the roadway, and a thick plume of black smoke rose over the area.

Flights Halted

The crash triggered a full ground stop at one of the nation’s busiest international gateways. By late afternoon, the airport had recorded hundreds of delays and dozens of cancellations, according to flight-tracking data. Operations began resuming on some runways around 5 p.m.

Federal Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the FAA. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA would also investigate, and the sheriff’s office said it would look into the five deaths.

Amazon said it was heartbroken by the loss of life. The company relies on a network of contract carriers to operate its Amazon Air cargo fleet, which moves packages between regional hubs.

Investigators will examine the aircraft’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders, runway conditions, weather and crew actions. The NTSB generally issues a preliminary report within about a month, while a final determination of probable cause can take a year or longer.

Runway overruns are among the most common types of commercial aviation accidents worldwide. Many large airports have installed engineered materials arresting systems, beds of crushable material at runway ends designed to stop aircraft that cannot halt on the paved surface.