MIAMI — At least five people were killed and five others sustained injuries after an Amazon Prime Air cargo jet overshot a runway and crashed while attempting to land at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon. The Boeing 767-300 freighter, operating as Flight 7598 from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, failed to stop along the airfield’s diagonal runway shortly before 2:00 PM EDT, barrelling off the tarmac and smashing into several vehicles along a nearby roadway before catching fire.
The violent impact left the wide-body aircraft resting sideways on its belly across the street, sending dense plumes of black smoke into the air and prompting a massive emergency response. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue mobilised more than 60 units and roughly 200 first responders to extinguish the heavy blaze and manage an active fuel leak. Officials confirmed that two occupants were pinned inside crushed ground vehicles and had to be extricated by technical rescue crews, while emergency personnel also worked to reach the pilot and co-pilot trapped inside the damaged cockpit. Among the five surviving casualties transported to medical centres, three remain in critical condition.
According to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, the 32-year-old airframe was travelling at roughly 112 knots when it exited the usable landing strip. The aircraft was being flown under contract for Amazon Air by cargo carrier 21 Air, which issued condolences to the families of the victims and pledged full cooperation with authorities alongside Boeing. The runway excursion forced federal regulators to enact an immediate ground stop, halting departures and arrivals across the major South Florida transit hub.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a specialized investigation team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to examine the site and determine the underlying cause of the accident. Federal investigators are reviewing flight data recorders, pilot actions, prevailing runway conditions, and mechanical systems to establish why the aircraft could not decelerate safely within the available stopping distance. Representatives from Amazon affirmed that the company is actively assisting emergency agencies as the federal inquiry gets underway.
