Amazon Air Cargo Plane Runway Crash in Miami: What the NTSB Has Said So Far

21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767 for Amazon, overran a Miami runway on 6 Sep 2026, killing five. What the NTSB preliminary report says, and what's next.

Lov Singh24 October 20269 min read0 viewsLogistics & Robotics
Amazon Air Cargo Plane Runway Crash in Miami: What the NTSB Has Said So Far

In short: On 6 September 2026, 21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767 cargo jet flying for Amazon from San Juan, Puerto Rico, overran runway 30 at Miami International Airport at about 1:53 p.m. local time. It struck two vehicles on the ground. According to the NTSB, five people on the ground were killed and three were seriously injured. The two pilots had minor injuries. The NTSB's preliminary report, released on 1 October, says the jet touched down about 3,750 feet past the runway threshold. It also says recorded data showed no deployment of the speed brakes or thrust reversers. The report does not state a cause, and the NTSB's final report is likely one to two years away.

Our thoughts are with the families of the five people who died, and with everyone who was injured.

What happened

The flight was a domestic cargo flight run under Part 121 airline rules "for Amazon.com Services LLC," according to the NTSB's investigation page. CBS News Miami reported that the same aircraft had flown Miami to San Juan earlier that day as Flight 7521.

Date / time (EDT) Event Source
6 Sep, about 1:49 p.m. Tower clears the flight to land on runway 30. The report says no wind information was given NTSB preliminary report, via CBS News Miami
6 Sep, about 1:53 p.m. The aircraft overruns runway 30 and strikes a van on a perimeter road and an SUV on NW 67th Avenue NTSB
6 Sep, about 2:30 p.m. The FAA Command Center issues a ground stop at MIA. CBS reported that all four runways closed CBS News Miami
6 Sep, about 3 hours later Ground stop lifted. Average arrival delays topped six hours that night CBS News Miami
7 Sep The NTSB team arrives and holds its first media briefing. 21 Air opens a family assistance line NTSB; CBS News Miami
8 Sep Second NTSB media briefing NTSB
9 Sep NTSB investigative update on the recorders NTSB
1 Oct The NTSB releases its preliminary report (DCA26MA352) NTSB

CBS News Miami, citing the preliminary report, said the van was carrying seven workers. Five of them were killed and the other two were seriously injured. The only person in the SUV was also seriously injured. The NTSB says the airplane was substantially damaged and that a fire after the crash burned its right wing.

The aircraft and operator

  • Aircraft: Boeing 767-33A, registration N1997A (NTSB). CBS News Miami reported that it was built in 1994 as a passenger jet, was converted to a freighter in 2016, and had about 110,077 flight hours. Other reports gave 2015 for the conversion. The difference is small, and we cite the figure reported from the preliminary report.
  • Operator: 21 Air LLC, a cargo airline based in Greensboro, North Carolina. CBS described its fleet as "just under two dozen" Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft. The plane wore Amazon Air branding, but Amazon did not fly it. 21 Air's crew operated the flight under contract.
  • Crew: According to CBS's summary of the report, the captain had 7,267 total flight hours and joined 21 Air in April 2026. The first officer had about 2,800 hours and joined in February 2025. The report says this was their first flight together.

What the NTSB preliminary report says

The NTSB says preliminary reports give initial facts and that their information "is preliminary and subject to change." Based on the NTSB's 9 September update and news coverage of the 1 October report:

  • Speed on approach and touchdown. CBS News Miami reported that the jet crossed the threshold at about 204 mph and touched down about 3,750 feet beyond it on the 9,360-foot runway. The NTSB's recorder update gives the touchdown groundspeed as about 158 knots.
  • Warnings in the cockpit. The cockpit voice recorder showed that one pilot repeatedly mentioned excessive airspeed and that the ground proximity warning sounded repeatedly (NTSB). The preliminary report says the captain was flying. It says the first officer "made additional comments regarding the airplane's excessive speed," and that there was "not a consistent verbal response," as quoted by CBS News Miami.
  • Deceleration devices. The flight data showed "no indication" of speed brake or thrust reverser deployment. Brakes were applied at 146 knots. The throttles were moved to go-around thrust and then back to idle at 117 knots. The last recorded groundspeed was 65 knots (NTSB).
  • Go-around call. CBS reported that the captain called for a go-around about 15 seconds after touchdown, with about 415 feet of runway left.
  • Weather and ATC. CBS reported that thunderstorms were in the area, with gusts of 17 to 26 knots. When the tower cleared the flight to land, it did not give wind information. The report cites an FAA order that requires controllers to give wind direction and speed when a tailwind exists.
  • Runway end. No Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS), a bed of crushable material that slows overrunning aircraft, was installed at the end of runway 30 (CBS; Flying Magazine).

What is not yet known

The NTSB has not said why the approach was flown at that speed, why the speed brakes and thrust reversers did not deploy, or how much the wind, the crew's actions, ATC communication or the runway's layout each contributed. It has not issued a probable cause, and no one should treat any of these factors as the cause until it does. A CVR group is producing a transcript, and the factual material will go into the public docket.

What happens next

The NTSB's process has three stages. A preliminary report usually comes out within about 30 days. Factual material is then released to a public docket. Finally comes a report with a probable cause and any safety recommendations. CBS News Miami reported that the final report will likely take one to two years. The NTSB can issue urgent safety recommendations at any point if it finds an immediate risk. As of 24 October 2026, we have found no new FAA order or airworthiness directive tied to this accident.

21 Air is a party to the investigation. The NTSB page also notes that, under federal law, potential litigants could not make unsolicited contact with injured people or families for 45 days after the accident, until 21 October 2026.

Statements from Amazon and 21 Air

According to CBS News Miami, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel confirmed that one of the company's aircraft was involved. She said Amazon was heartbroken by the deaths and would cooperate fully with the investigation. 21 Air CEO Keith Winters said he was "devastated by the accident involving one of our aircraft." After the preliminary report, 21 Air said it would "continue to work closely with the NTSB as a party to the investigation."

How Amazon Air works

Amazon Air is Amazon's air cargo network. It moves packages between its fulfilment and sort centres, including its hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Amazon leases and brands the aircraft, but contract airlines fly them under their own FAA operating certificates. This accident shows that 21 Air is one of those airlines. Others have included Atlas Air and ATSG's carriers, ABX Air and Air Transport International. These are the companies whose names appear on NTSB and FAA records when something goes wrong. Air cargo is one part of the logistics network that also employs Amazon's seasonal workforce; see our guide to Amazon's 2026 holiday hiring.

Has this happened before?

Yes. On 23 February 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a Boeing 767-300 freighter flying for Amazon, crashed into Trinity Bay near Houston on approach to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. All three people on board died. In its final report, adopted in July 2020, the NTSB found that the probable cause was the first officer's inappropriate response to an inadvertent activation of go-around mode, which led to spatial disorientation and a steep nose-down input. It also found that the captain did not adequately monitor the airplane's flight path. Contributing factors included shortcomings in the industry's pilot hiring and records systems.

The two accidents happened in different circumstances. Nothing the NTSB has published links the 2019 crash to the Miami accident.

FAQ

What happened in the Amazon cargo plane crash in Miami?

On 6 September 2026, 21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767 flying for Amazon, overran runway 30 at Miami International Airport after landing. It hit two vehicles, and five people on the ground were killed (NTSB).

Were the pilots of the Amazon plane in Miami hurt?

Both crew members had minor injuries, according to the NTSB. The preliminary report says the captain was flying and the first officer was monitoring.

Who operates Amazon Air planes?

Contract airlines fly them. In this case the operator was 21 Air LLC of Greensboro, North Carolina. Amazon has also used Atlas Air, ABX Air and Air Transport International.

What does the NTSB preliminary report on the Amazon cargo plane say?

It says the jet touched down about 3,750 feet down the runway at high speed. It says there was no recorded deployment of the speed brakes or thrust reversers, that the go-around was called late, and that the tower did not give the crew wind information. It does not state a cause.

When will the NTSB final report be released?

Reporting citing the NTSB puts it one to two years after the accident, so likely in 2027 or 2028.

How many people died in the Miami Amazon plane crash?

Five people, all of them workers in a van on an airport perimeter road. Three other people were seriously injured.

Has an Amazon Air plane crashed before?

Yes. Atlas Air Flight 3591 crashed near Houston in February 2019, killing all three people on board.

Sources

Featured image: An Amazon Air Boeing 767-300 (N449AZ, operated by ATI) departing Baltimore/Washington, not the accident aircraft. Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source

#NTSB#Amazon Air#air cargo#Boeing 767#Miami International Airport#aviation safety#21 Air
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