NTSB probes Amazon cargo jet runway overrun that killed five in Miami

Federal investigators are focusing on the moment the Amazon-operated Boeing 767 cargo jet touched down at Miami International Airport, assessing whether a late landing contributed to the aircraft overrunning the runway and striking vehicles. Video of the Sunday landing appears to show the plane remaining airborne well down the runway before contacting the surface, prompting experts to consider if the crew should have aborted and attempted another approach.

The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to the site and is expected to brief the public on Monday. Investigators will review the aircraft's speed, braking performance, weather conditions, wind factors, mechanical status and maintenance history, including prior foreign ownership.

The jet, arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, overran the runway around 2 p.m., crossing a service road used by warehouse workers and nearby businesses. Five people were killed, three suffered critical injuries and two were hospitalized with less severe injuries, according to officials. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said the crash trapped the pilots in the cockpit and occupants in cars, and crews had to extricate a person from beneath a vehicle.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo noted that standard landings occur within the first 3,000 feet of a runway and that exceeding this zone typically warrants a go-around. Former Transportation Department Inspector General and pilot Mary Schiavo observed that the video shows the aircraft floating above the runway without a proper flare, adding that a tailwind could have further reduced stopping distance.

Miami International Airport lacks the FAA-approved arresting systems installed at many other airports to halt aircraft that overshoot runways. The incident halted flights for much of the afternoon, with about 200 emergency responders battling a complex engine fire and a subsequent fuel leak. More than 160 flights were canceled and nearly 325 delayed, and some were diverted to Orlando International Airport.

The flight was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier, using a 32-year-old Boeing 767 converted to freight service in 2015. Amazon issued a statement expressing condolences and pledged cooperation with the investigation.