Amazon suspended its air cargo operations with 21 Air following a fatal Sept. 6, 2026, runway overrun in Miami. Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 operated by the North Carolina carrier, crashed into ground vehicles and ignited a complex fire, killing five people and injuring five others.
Fatal Runway Overrun and Ground Impact at Miami International Airport
The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 freighter arriving from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, overran Runway 30 at Miami International Airport just before 2 p.m. ET on Sept. 6, 2026, according to official reports (NBC News). The jet traveled 1,300 feet past the end of the tarmac, cut through a perimeter road, and struck two ground vehicles, including a Ford Econoline van carrying workers for an airline cleaning service (Insurance Journal).
The impact sparked a massive fire and heavy black smoke, prompting a rapid mobilization of emergency responders. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue deployed 60 fire units to the scene. Fire Chief Ray Jadallah described the emergency response as dealing with a very complex fire
involving burning engine compartments while crews worked to rescue trapped individuals. Both pilots were initially trapped inside the cockpit, alongside multiple victims trapped inside the impacted ground vehicles (Blockonomi, Hurriyet Daily News).
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed that five people lost their lives in the disaster. Authorities identified the victims, all of whom were on the ground at the time of the collision, as Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47 (NBC News). Another five individuals sustained injuries, with three reported in critical condition and two others treated at local hospitals for lesser injuries (Blockonomi, Hurriyet Daily News).
Cockpit Voice Data and Initial Findings by Federal Investigators
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration immediately launched a full probe into the accident (Blockonomi, International Business Times). Data retrieved from the flight’s cockpit voice recorder revealed that as one pilot attempted to land, the other cautioned repeatedly that the aircraft was traveling too fast,
though there was no consistent verbal response to the comments about speed,
according to an NTSB summary (NBC News).
Flight data recorder information showed that the aircraft touched down and, roughly 15 seconds later, a pilot called for a go-around maneuver to abort the landing (NBC News). NTSB investigator Chihoon Shin noted that engine thrust increased during the landing in a manner consistent with an aborted landing attempt (NBC News). However, Shin stated that the speed brakes and the thrust reversers were not deployed,
leaving investigators to determine why those deceleration systems were not engaged (NBC News).
Corporate Structure: Amazon Branding Versus 21 Air Operations
The accident drew immediate scrutiny regarding the corporate relationship between e-commerce giant Amazon and its logistics contractors (International Business Times). While the Boeing 767 prominently displayed a billboard-sized Amazon smile on its tail and operated under the Prime Air banner, the e-commerce company neither owned the aircraft nor employed the flight crew (Insurance Journal, International Business Times).
Aviation attorney Steven Marks noted that federal regulators typically examine operational control, which usually rests with the contracted carrier rather than the company branding the cargo (Insurance Journal). This arm’s-length logistics model mirrors Amazon’s ground delivery network, allowing the company to outsource trucking and aviation operations to independent contractors while scaling its delivery speeds (Insurance Journal).
Amazon Pauses Operations and Legal Actions Move Forward
In the wake of the tragedy, Amazon announced it was suspending its business relationship with the carrier (NBC News).
“After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598,”
Kelly Nantel, Amazon Spokesperson
Amazon stated it would redirect packages previously assigned to 21 Air to other network carriers, including Sun Country Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Transport International, ABX Air, ASL Airlines, and Cargojet (NBC News). Meanwhile, 21 Air defended its internal protocols, stating that the company remains confident in our safety policies, procedures and training
while cooperating fully with the NTSB and partners like Amazon (NBC News, Honolulu Star-Advertiser).
Legal fallout has begun following the crash. Yaraisi Santiso Morejon, the widow of van driver Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Florida alleging negligence (Insurance Journal). The complaint names Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Air Cargo, 21 Air, and several leasing and holding entities as defendants (Insurance Journal). As the NTSB inquiry continues to analyze flight recorders and maintenance records, investigators have not yet determined the definitive cause of the runway overrun (Blockonomi, International Business Times).
