Runway overrun and ground collision

A Boeing 767 cargo aircraft operating for Amazon overran the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, traveling 1,300 feet past the pavement boundary. The aircraft, operated by 21 Air LLC, crossed the airport perimeter and two public roads before stopping with its nose flush against the ground. During the slide, the plane struck airport navigational equipment and two ground vehicles. A white Ford Econoline van carrying seven airplane cleaners from Professional Ocean Service Corp took a direct impact alongside an airport utility vehicle. Five workers inside the van died at the scene, while two others were hospitalized in critical condition. In total, five people died and five others sustained injuries across the two ground vehicles, while both pilots survived.

Flight data and cockpit warnings

Preliminary flight recorder data released by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates the flight crew encountered severe stability and speed issues during landing. According to lead investigator Chihoon Shin, cockpit recordings revealed one pilot repeatedly warned that the plane was approaching too fast during the final two minutes of flight. The same crew member urged aborting the landing attempt, but investigators found no clear response from the other pilot. Automated cockpit alerts also warned several times that the 32-year-old aircraft was flying too low. The jet touched down on its nose gear and right main gear at nearly 293 kilometers per hour, well above typical landing speeds, and seven seconds elapsed before the pilots applied wheel brakes.

“Either you land or you go around. You do not land, try to go around and then land again, unless there was some mechanical failure.”

Runway safety margins and pilot actions

Investigators noted evidence that the flight crew briefly considered aborting the landing before continuing down the runway, losing hundreds of meters of stopping distance. Aviation experts reviewing the sequence pointed to a lack of cockpit coordination and a failure to follow standard flight manual procedures. The collision also focused attention on physical runway safety margins at Miami International Airport. Unlike more than 120 airports across the United States, Miami is not equipped with engineered arresting beds, which use crushable materials at runway ends to safely decelerate overrunning aircraft.

Fatalities5

Severe injuries3

Minor injuries2

Fatalities

5 people

Severe injuries

3 people

Minor injuries

2 people

Data from the article text

Wrongful death lawsuit against operators

The five deceased workers were identified as Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, Rolando Aleman Leon, Julio C. Pineda, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo. On Wednesday, Naranjo's widow, Yaraisi Santiso Morejon, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in a Florida circuit court against Amazon, Amazon Air Cargo, 21 Air LLC, and the two pilots. Represented by attorney Jorge Garcia, the legal filing seeks damages in excess of $50,000 and alleges pilot error alongside systemic training deficiencies. The lawsuit also cites the deployment of an aging aircraft whose braking, thrust reverser, and spoiler systems remain under federal investigation. Amazon stated it is cooperating fully with federal investigators, while contractor Professional Ocean Service Corp acknowledged the loss of its long-serving staff.