Flight Data Show Aborted Landing Attempt Before Fatal Amazon Cargo Jet Crash in Miami

Federal investigators said flight-data recordings show the crew of an Amazon-branded cargo jet applied full engine power and appeared to attempt a late go-around in the final seconds before their Boeing 767 overran a runway at Miami International Airport, crossed the airport perimeter and struck two vehicles, killing five people on the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday it plans to interview both pilots on Wednesday as it works to explain why the jet never used its thrust reversers or speed brakes before running roughly a quarter mile past the end of the runway.

The crash occurred Sunday afternoon as 21 Air Flight 7598, operating under contract for Amazon's Prime Air cargo network, arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to the NTSB's investigation page for the accident, the Boeing 767-300 freighter overran the end of Runway 30 during landing; the agency has designated the case DCA26MA352 and dispatched a "go-team" of more than 30 investigators.

The numbers

Data recovered from the flight recorders indicate the jet's landing gear touched down at a ground speed of 158 knots, or roughly 182 miles per hour, and that the crew applied the brakes eight seconds later at about 146 knots. Roughly seven seconds after that, according to investigators, the brakes were released and the throttles were pushed to settings consistent with a go-around, an apparent attempt to abort the landing and climb away rather than continue rolling out. The aircraft never regained enough distance: it left the paved surface, crossed roughly 1,300 feet of open ground, tore through the airport's perimeter fence and struck a van and then a sport-utility vehicle on a public road. Five people who were in the two ground vehicles were killed; both pilots and three others were injured. The crash forced the closure of all four of Miami International Airport's runways for several hours and led to more than 160 canceled flights and hundreds of delays in the days since, with two runways still shut as of this week.

How the crash unfolded

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said more than 60 units and roughly 200 personnel responded after the plane came to rest in a lot near the airport's northwest boundary and caught fire. Fire Chief Raied Jadallah described a "very complex fire" involving the aircraft's engine compartments and a fuel leak, and said crews carried out a "complex extrication" to free people trapped in the struck vehicles, including the plane's two pilots. The five people killed were riding in a van operated by Professional Ocean Service Corp., a contractor that cleans aircraft for airlines at the airport; a sixth person from the same van and the driver of the SUV were among the injured. The company said in a statement that its "family is heartbroken by this unimaginable tragedy" and that it would support the victims' relatives and coworkers.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy toured the wreckage Monday and described what she found in blunt terms.

"I would describe it in one word as devastating, utter devastation," Homendy said of the crash site.

Amazon, which branded the flight but did not operate it, said through a spokesperson that the company was "heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives" and that it was cooperating with investigators. 21 Air, the North Carolina-based cargo carrier that operated the 32-year-old aircraft on Amazon's behalf, said its "deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives." Boeing, whose 767 airframe was involved, said it was supporting the investigation and extended condolences to those affected.

Who was affected

Authorities identified the five people killed as Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47, all ground workers for the airport-services contractor. Beyond the immediate victims and their families, the disruption rippled through one of the country's busiest international gateways: with two of MIA's four runways still closed several days later, airlines continued to cancel and delay flights into the workweek, and travelers connecting through South Florida faced diverted arrivals and rebooked itineraries. The aircraft itself was a 32-year-old 767 originally built as a passenger jet in 1994 and later converted to carry freight, a common practice among contract cargo carriers that fly on behalf of large shippers such as Amazon.

What happens next

Homendy said investigators want to interview the flight's captain and first officer before releasing any transcript from the cockpit voice recorder, reasoning that hearing from the crew first will help investigators interpret what is on the tape rather than the public forming conclusions from the audio alone. That interview was scheduled for Wednesday, according to the agency's lead investigator on scene, Chihoon Shin, who has been walking reporters through the second-by-second flight-data timeline as it is decoded. The public docket for the investigation had not yet been released as of Tuesday; the NTSB typically opens dockets and issues preliminary findings within roughly three weeks of a major accident, with a full determination of probable cause taking a year or more.

In the meantime, investigators said they are examining the aircraft's weight and balance, the weather at the time of landing — thunderstorms with gusting wind were reported in the area — the mechanical condition of the aging freighter, and the crew's decision-making in the seconds after touchdown. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors are working alongside the NTSB team, and the agency has said it will continue issuing updates as data from the flight recorders is fully analyzed. Miami-Dade Aviation officials have not set a timetable for reopening the airport's remaining closed runways, saying that decision will follow the physical examination of the wreckage and the surrounding infrastructure it damaged.