According to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the first officer of an Amazon Cargo aircraft that overran a runway at Miami International Airport last month had repeatedly expressed concerns about the speed during the approach. The incident resulted in the tragic deaths of five individuals on the ground.
The report indicated that the aircraft’s captain initiated a go-around, a standard protocol for a second landing attempt, only moments after the plane had touched down and was on the verge of a crash. It was noted that this flight marked the first occasion the captain and first officer had operated together, and they faced challenging wind conditions due to nearby thunderstorms.
On September 6, at 1:53 p.m. local time, 21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-33A freighter serving Amazon, landed on Runway 30 after departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aircraft overran the runway, collided with an airport perimeter fence, crossed a roadway, and eventually came to a stop approximately 1,200 feet from the runway’s end.
The plane first collided with a Ford Econoline passenger van on a road adjacent to the airport, resulting in the deaths of five out of seven occupants, while the remaining two sustained serious injuries. The aircraft then struck a Toyota Corolla Cross SUV, leaving its sole occupant with severe injuries. Fortunately, the captain and first officer, the only individuals aboard the flight, sustained only minor injuries.
The 12-page report did not draw definitive conclusions regarding the cause of the accident, with the NTSB’s final report expected to take one to two years to complete. 21 Air, which is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, operates a fleet of nearly two dozen Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft. In response to the report, the company stated its commitment to cooperating with the NTSB throughout the investigation process.
In a statement to CBS News Miami, 21 Air emphasized its intent to closely examine the preliminary report alongside its internal safety and operational protocols, pledging to take necessary actions to enhance safety based on verified facts.
The flight data indicated that during the landing approach, the first officer raised alarms about their excessive speed. The NTSB noted that the first officer made several remarks concerning the aircraft’s speed throughout the recording, yet there was an inconsistent verbal response from the crew regarding these concerns.
The flight recorder captured over ten electronic alerts, highlighting issues such as the aircraft’s descent rate and warnings about being too low during descent. The report disclosed that the aircraft crossed the runway threshold at approximately 204 miles per hour and landed around 3,750 feet past that point at a speed of about 184 mph. It was also noted that neither the speed brakes nor thrust reversers were activated by the crew to decelerate the plane.
About 15 seconds post-touchdown, the captain called for a go-around, but by that time, only about 415 feet of runway remained. The report highlighted that no crushable-concrete overrun safety system was in place at the end of Runway 30.
At the time of the incident, thunderstorms were present at the airport, with wind gusts ranging from 17 to 26 knots (approximately 19 to 29 mph). The tower’s south local controller had cleared the flight to land around 1:49 p.m., when the plane was roughly 12 nautical miles from the runway, but did not provide the pilots with wind information. According to FAA regulations, controllers are required to inform pilots of wind direction and speed when a tailwind component is present on a runway.
The captain reported a total of 7,267 flight hours and joined 21 Air in April, while the first officer had approximately 2,800 flight hours and had been with the airline since February 2025. Earlier that day, they had flown Flight 7521 from Miami to San Juan, marking their first flight together.
The aircraft sustained significant damage, with a post-crash fire occurring on the right wing. Following the impact, part of the right wing and the right engine detached from the fuselage, and the pilots managed to shut down the aircraft before evacuating. The Boeing 767 was initially constructed as a passenger aircraft in June 1994 and was converted to a freighter in June 2016, having logged around 110,077 flight hours and 24,505 cycles.
Following the incident, the right engine was found to be thermally damaged and partially separated from its wing pylon. A considerable section of the right wing’s upper surface was discovered approximately 158 feet from the crash site.
Attorney Pablo Rojas, representing one of the van survivors, 27-year-old Sebastian Perdomo Torres, stated that while the report offers valuable insights, it does not address all the questions surrounding airline operations. Rojas expressed the need for a thorough independent investigation, irrespective of the NTSB’s conclusions regarding the immediate causes of the crash.
Contributions to this report were made by Chelsea Jones, Anna McAllister, and Manuel Bojorquez.
