At least 5 dead, 5 injured after Amazon cargo plane went off runway at Miami airport

By Anthony Izaguirre, David Fischer and Josh Funk Associated Press September 6, 2026 - 5:21 pm MIAMI— An Amazon cargo aircraft overran the runway at Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, struck nearby vehicles and burst into flames, officials reported. The impact left at least five people dead and five injured, with three classified as critical and two sustaining less serious harm, Miami‑Dade County authorities said at a press briefing. Miami officials noted it remained too early to determine whether the fatalities involved occupants of the plane or those in the vehicles it hit. The crash sent thick black smoke into the sky, trapping the pilot and co‑pilot inside the cockpit and several people in their cars; rescue crews also had to free an individual pinned beneath a vehicle, according to Miami‑Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. Firefighters deployed foam from specialized airport units to quell the blaze, while crews continued to address a fuel leak on the aircraft hours later. Photographs showed the plane coming to rest beside a roadway close to two semi‑trucks, resting on its belly and remaining largely intact despite the fire. Investigators have not yet established a cause, and it is unclear whether weather played a role. The National Weather Service recorded thunderstorms and wind gusts reaching up to 30 mph (48 kph) at the time. The aircraft was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina‑based cargo carrier. The 32‑year‑old Boeing 767 was originally built for passenger service, flew for multiple airlines for more than two decades, and was converted to a freighter in 2015, per Flightradar24 data. FlightAware reported that more than 160 flights were canceled and roughly 325 were delayed by late Sunday, with some services diverted to Orlando International Airport, located over 200 miles (320 km) to the north. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is dispatching a team to Miami, led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, to conduct the investigation. Amazon issued the following statement: “We’re heartbroken to larn that 5 radical mislaid their lives successful today’s incidental astatine Miami International Airport,” the institution said. “Our deepest sympathies spell retired to the families, loved ones, and each those affected by this devastating loss.” A similar incident occurred last year when a UPS freighter lost an engine part while accelerating down the runway at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, killing three pilots and twelve people on the ground and injuring twenty‑three others. Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, a retired United Airlines pilot, questioned whether the aircraft touched down within the prescribed touchdown zone—the first 3,000 feet (914 meters) of the runway—and, if not, why the crew did not initiate a go‑around. He said: “Did the craft onshore wrong the required touchdown zone? If it did, what happened? Was it upwind related oregon mechanical related?” Arroyo said. He added: “If it did onshore beyond the touchdown zone, wherefore didn’t it spell around? That is simply a lasting signifier astir the world.” Arroyo said. Jackson Lee, who runs an electronics store near the crash site, went outside with four colleagues after the accident and observed smoke rising beside the airport’s perimeter fence. He remarked: “We perceive planes taking disconnected and landing each 5 minutes. I thought I’d got utilized to it,” Lee