Five people died after an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, Sept. 6. The crash triggered one of the largest emergency responses in Miami-Dade Fire Rescue history.
The Boeing 767-300 freighter, operating as 21 Air Flight 7598, touched down on Runway 30 at 1:53 p.m. after a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft was still traveling at 112 knots, roughly 129 mph, as it left the usable runway surface, according to Aerotime.
The plane crossed the airfield boundary, plowed across a road used by warehouse workers and businesses, struck multiple vehicles and caught fire, the Associated Press reported via Local 10. Five people were killed and five injured, three of them critically.
Fire crews battled fuel-fed blaze to reach trapped pilots
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which also serves the Aventura area, received an Alert 3 from the airport tower just before 2 p.m. The alert signaled a confirmed aircraft accident. Chief Ray Jadallah said response units arrived within roughly 30 seconds.
More than 60 fire units and around 200 emergency personnel deployed to the scene. Crews found the aircraft engulfed in heavy flames and smoke.
Jadallah described "a very complex fire" with engine compartments burning while crews rescued the pilot and copilot, who were trapped in the cockpit. Firefighters used foam from specialized airport units to battle the blaze. Crews also extricated a person trapped under a vehicle.
The two pilots survived. Hours after the crash, crews were still managing an active fuel leak from the aircraft.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the deaths at a Sunday evening news conference. "At least five people have lost their lives, and five others are injured," she said.
Ground stop, flight delays ripple through busy freight hub
The crash halted operations at one of the nation's busiest international freight airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered a full ground stop around 2:30 p.m.
Two of the airport's four runways reopened roughly three hours later, but average arrival delays stretched to about six and a half hours by Sunday evening. More than 160 flights were canceled and nearly 325 delayed, according to the Associated Press. Some flights were diverted to Orlando International Airport.
Weather, missing runway safety system draw scrutiny
Weather data recorded a thunderstorm over the field at the time of landing, with winds from the south at 17 knots gusting to 26 and storm clouds at 2,000 feet. It was not raining, but strong winds were reported.
Former Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo told the Associated Press that video posted online showed the plane floating above the runway for an extended period without the nose flaring upward.
"A tail wind would certainly add to your troubles if you've already given up a good chunk of the runway by not touching down and landing right away," Schiavo said.
Miami International Airport does not have engineered material arresting systems, known as EMAS, which the Federal Aviation Administration says are installed at more than 120 airports nationwide.
Federal investigators, sheriff's office open parallel probes
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a Go Team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. The board scheduled its first media briefing for Monday, Sept. 7, at 4 p.m. at the airport's Concourse J. The FAA is also investigating.
The flight was operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in Greensboro, North Carolina, that flies contracted services for Amazon and DHL. Amazon does not hold its own air operator certificate for these flights.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Homicide Bureau is leading the death investigation alongside local and federal partners. Residents with information can contact the sheriff's office.
