Federal investigators outline probe into Miami cargo jet overrun
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the Amazon cargo Boeing 767 that overran a Miami runway, killing five and injuring five, while officials assess possible causes such as landing distance and weather conditions.
Federal investigators said on Monday they will examine the factors behind a Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by 21 Air that overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing five people and injuring five others. The aircraft, arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, left the runway around 2 p.m., crossed a service road used by warehouse workers, and caught fire, trapping the pilots in the cockpit and occupants in nearby vehicles, according to Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah.
The National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy is scheduled to hold a news conference to detail the investigation. Officials indicated that investigators will consider whether the plane touched down beyond the typical landing zone, which is within the first 3,000 feet of a runway, and whether a tailwind contributed to the aircraft’s extended float before landing. Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo noted that a landing beyond that point would normally prompt a go-around.
Former Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo, who is also a pilot, said video posted online shows the aircraft remaining airborne for an unusually long period without flaring, and suggested that a tailwind could have worsened the situation. She added that the NTSB will also review the plane’s maintenance history, noting its previous foreign ownership, including by a Russian firm.
Miami International Airport does not have runway arresting systems, which the FAA says are installed at more than 120 U.S. airports to stop overrunning aircraft. The crash halted flights at the busy hub for much of the afternoon; about 200 emergency responders fought a complex engine fire and later addressed a fuel leak. More than 160 flights were cancelled and nearly 325 delayed, with some diverted to Orlando International Airport.
Amazon issued a statement saying it will cooperate with the investigation and expressed sympathy for the victims. The incident follows a 2023 crash of a UPS cargo plane in Louisville that killed three pilots and 12 ground persons.