In brief
An Amazon Air Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft overran Miami International Airport’s diagonal runway just before 14:00 local time, causing a fire and a fuel leak. Five passengers and crew lost their lives and five others sustained serious injuries, some in critical condition. The incident, occurring over Labor Day weekend, prompted the FAA to ground all flights and the National Transportation Safety Board to launch an investigation. Miami‑Dade County officials reported rapid rescue responses and ongoing efforts to aid affected families, while Amazon and 21 Air issued statements of condolences and cooperation. "We're heart‑broken to learn that five people lost their lives," Amazon’s director of corporate global media relations said. "The airplane was attempting to land when the incident occurred, and we are working closely with local authorities to understand the circumstances and support the investigation," the company added. The crash underscores the busy nature of Miami International Airport, the country’s busiest freight hub and a major gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, which saw more than 2.3 million passengers fly on the Labor Day weekend. A map of the runway and crash site details shows how the aircraft continued past the runway end and came to rest near an Amazon‑related parking lot. "At least five people have lost their lives, and five others are injured," Miami‑Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. The NTSB will hold a press conference on Monday to discuss early findings.
A Boeing 767‑300 cargo aircraft operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina charter company chartered by Amazon, crashed on the diagonal runway of Miami International Airport just before 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT). The aircraft overran the runway after landing, came to rest on a nearby parking lot and caught fire, killing five people and leaving several others seriously injured.
Mrs. Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami‑Dade County, said rescue crews reached the scene within seconds and the focus was immediately on the families, injured passengers and ongoing emergency response. Three of the five injuries were reported as critical by Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah, while the rest were described as unknown injuries.
In the chaos, the plane’s flaming wreckage destroyed several vehicles on the ground and caused a fuel leak in the vicinity. Over 200 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze and contain the spill.
Amazon confirmed it was working closely with authorities and offered condolences to the victims. Amazon’s Director of Corporate Global Media Relations, Kelly Nantel, noted the company’s deep sympathy for the families and the pledges to cooperate fully with investigations.
The flight departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, en route to Miami. It was travelling at about 112 knots (129 mph, 207 km/h) as it exited the usable runway, according to FlightRadar24.
Air traffic authorities ordered all U.S. flights grounded and the Federal Aviation Administration launched an emergency response. The incident occurs during one of the busiest travel weekends in the United States, with the Transportation Security Administration forecasting over 17 million travelers at U.S. airports leading up to Labor Day, and 2.3 million passengers flying on Sunday alone.
Miami International Airport is a critical freight hub and a key gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, handling the majority of international freight and passengers for the state.
The National Transportation Safety Board will convene a press conference on Monday to provide preliminary updates, while investigators continue to probe the fault factors behind the runway overshoot, potential mechanical issues, and environmental conditions such as light thunderstorms and gusting winds at the time of the incident.
