Amazon cargo plane overshoots runway at Miami airport, killing five

MIAMI - An Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport and burst into flames on Sept 6, killing at least five people and shutting down the airport’s runways.

The Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air as Prime Air Flight 7598, overshot the runway around 2pm after arriving from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane struck multiple vehicles near the airport and emergency units were assessing patients, according to a post on X from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which reported heavy flames and smoke when it responded to the incident.

Miami officials said at a news conference that, along with the five people who were killed, another five were injured.

“Prime Air Flight 7598 overran Miami International Airport’s diagonal runway and is disabled at the northwest end of the airport,” Indira Almeida-Pardillo, a spokesperson for Miami International Airport, said in a statement. She said all runways and taxiways were closed as of 3pm local time (3am on Sept 7, Singapore time) and a ground stop was in effect.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of significant delays and possible cancellations in a post on X.

21 Air, a Miami-based cargo airline, began operating Boeing 767-300 freighters on behalf of Amazon in 2024.

Amazon confirmed that one of its planes, operated by 21 Air, experienced an incident when it attempted to land in Miami. 

“We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson said in a post on X. “Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved.”

Amazon’s in-house cargo airline has tilted its focus to larger aircraft that can handle longer distances and bulk shipping, with the 767 model that crashed in Miami now accounting for the biggest portion of its fleet. Amazon Prime also has 10 Airbus A330-300 freighters, as well as smaller narrow-body 737s for regional routes.

Representatives for 21 Air and Amazon didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The FAA said it will investigate the incident.

While the circumstances of the accident remain unknown, the crash stands to be the worst cargo-related incident since UPS Airlines Flight 2976 was destroyed on Nov 4, 2025, after it impacted the ground shortly after takeoff at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, killing the 3 crew members aboard the airplane and 11 people on the ground.

The aircraft involved in the crash was more than 32 years old, having first flown June 1994. Over the decades, it changed hands, including operations for Air Europa, Kenya Airways and Atlas Air, a cargo specialist, after being converted into a cargo aircraft in 2016, according to data compiled by the Planespotters website.

The Boeing 767 is no longer in production as a commercial aircraft but still widely flown. The manufacturer still makes the plane in low numbers as military refuelling planes. BLOOMBERG