Amazon cargo aircraft crashes at Miami airport, killing five and injuring five others

VoS NEWS DESK | WORLD | 7 September 2026

At least five people have been killed after an Amazon cargo aircraft overran a runway at Miami International Airport in Florida and crashed into several vehicles before bursting into flames.

The aircraft was a Boeing 767-300 operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air. It was travelling as Prime Air Flight 7598 after departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The accident happened at around 2pm local time on Sunday as the aircraft attempted to land at Miami International Airport.

According to officials, the aircraft failed to stop on the runway and continued beyond the airport's paved surface before striking multiple vehicles on a nearby road.

The collision caused a major fire, sending thick black smoke into the air and prompting a large emergency response.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue deployed more than 60 fire-rescue units to the scene as emergency workers battled the flames and dealt with a fuel leak from the aircraft.

Local authorities confirmed that five people were killed and five others injured.

Three of those injured were taken to a trauma centre in critical condition, while two others were transported to hospital with less serious injuries.

Officials initially said it was unclear whether all of the people killed were aboard the aircraft or travelling in the vehicles struck after the plane left the runway.

The crash created a major disruption at one of the United States' busiest airports.

Operations at Miami International Airport were temporarily halted while emergency crews dealt with the fire and secured the crash site. Hundreds of flights were affected, with cancellations and delays reported following the incident.

The aircraft had arrived from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, before the accident.

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation, while the National Transportation Safety Board is also gathering information about the crash.

Investigators will examine a range of factors, including the aircraft's approach, landing speed, weather conditions, runway conditions and the circumstances that caused the aircraft to continue beyond the runway.

The cause of the crash has not yet been established.

Weather conditions could become part of the investigation, with reports indicating thunderstorms and strong wind gusts in the area around the time of the accident. However, authorities have not identified weather as the confirmed cause.

The incident also highlights the particular challenges associated with cargo aircraft.

The Boeing 767 involved in the crash had previously been operated as a passenger aircraft before being converted for cargo operations.

Amazon confirmed that the aircraft was part of its Amazon Air network and said it was working closely with authorities investigating the accident. The company expressed condolences to those affected by the crash.

The accident comes amid wider scrutiny of aviation safety in the United States following several serious incidents involving aircraft.

For Miami, the crash caused significant disruption because the airport is an important international gateway connecting the United States with Latin America, the Caribbean and other global destinations.

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The Miami crash is significant not only because of the loss of life but also because the aircraft crossed beyond the runway and struck vehicles in an area surrounding the airport.

The investigation will therefore need to establish exactly why the Boeing 767 was unable to stop after landing and whether any technical, operational, weather or human factors contributed.

The involvement of both the FAA and NTSB means investigators are expected to examine the accident in detail before drawing conclusions.

For the aviation industry, the incident could renew attention on runway safety, aircraft braking performance, landing procedures and the protection of areas surrounding major airports.

For passengers and cargo operators, the immediate priority is understanding what happened and preventing a similar accident from occurring again.

At present, investigators have not announced a definitive cause.

The tragedy nevertheless serves as a reminder that even highly regulated modern aviation remains dependent on a complex combination of aircraft performance, weather, runway conditions, crew decisions and airport safety systems.

Source: Associated Press / Reuters / FAA / NTSB / VoS News Desk