Five Dead After Amazon Air Cargo Plane Overruns Runway in Miami

A cargo flight operating for Amazon Air resulted in at least five fatalities on September 6, 2026, after overrunning a runway at Miami International Airport. The accident caused massive operational disruptions at one of the United States' busiest aviation hubs.

Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300F operated by 21 Air, was arriving from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Upon landing on runway 30, the aircraft failed to stop within the runway environment, exiting the paved surface and striking multiple vehicles. The impact triggered a fire, leaving five people dead and five others injured, including the two pilots on board. According to reports from The New York Times and The Guardian, three of the injured were in critical condition.

Aircraft and Operator History

The aircraft involved, registration N1997A, was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-33AER(BDSF). Records indicate the plane was originally delivered to Sobelair in 1994 before being converted to a freighter in 2016. The flight was operated by 21 Air, a company majority-owned by Jim Crane, the owner of the Houston Astros. 21 Air provides capacity for Amazon Air's logistics network.

Industry Implications

This incident marks another fatal accident involving a Boeing 767 freighter operating within the Amazon Prime Air network, drawing immediate comparisons to the 2019 crash of Atlas Air Flight 3591. The recurrence of fatal overruns involving this specific aircraft type in cargo operations may prompt renewed scrutiny of safety protocols and pilot training for heavy freighter landings.

Operational Impact and Next Steps

The crash caused immediate and severe disruption at Miami International Airport. The airport was forced to implement a ground stop, leading to the cancellation or delay of hundreds of flights as emergency crews managed the fire and recovered the wreckage. Investigators are now working to determine the cause of the overrun, focusing on whether the incident was the result of mechanical failure, pilot error, or environmental factors. Official findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to clarify the sequence of events leading to the touchdown.