Five people died when a Boeing 767-300 freighter flying for Amazon overran a runway at Miami International Airport just before 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Five more were hurt, and Miami-Dade County officials said three of them were in a critical condition.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the jet was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico. An Amazon spokesperson said a contractor, 21 Air, operated the flight.

Into the road behind the airport

BBC News reported that the jet left the runway at nearly 130 mph, struck several vehicles on the road behind the airport, and came to rest tipped onto its nose. It caught fire, and crews also had to deal with a fuel leak. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said more than 60 of its units worked the blaze.

Fire rescue chief Ray Jadallah said people were trapped in vehicles, and that the pilot and copilot were trapped in the aircraft. The next day, National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said everyone killed had been in two vehicles hit by the plane. One was a van carrying seven workers from a cleaning contractor that served the airlines. Both pilots survived.

According to Flightradar24, quoted by Al Jazeera, the 32-year-old aircraft flew passengers for more than two decades before conversion to a freighter in 2015.

What the preliminary report found

The NTSB has published a 12-page preliminary report. It gives no probable cause, but NBC 6 South Florida set out what it says about the landing.

  • The jet touched down about 3,750 feet along a runway 9,360 feet long, at a ground speed of 160 knots.
  • Data from a flight recorder showed the speed brakes stayed stowed and the thrust reversers did not deploy.
  • The pilots applied the wheel brakes, released them about eight seconds later, then advanced both engines towards go-around thrust with about 930 feet left.
  • They braked again with about 415 feet remaining, and the aircraft ran off the end.

The report also says the wind was blowing at 17 knots, gusting to about 30 mph, as thunderstorms arrived. The controller cleared the jet to land without giving it wind information, which FAA rules require when there is a tailwind component.

Earlier NTSB material, which NBC 6 summarised, said one pilot warned the other they were too fast on approach and got no consistent reply.

Lawsuits and a suspended contract

Amazon has suspended its partnership with 21 Air, and families of people killed or injured have filed lawsuits, NBC 6 reported. In a statement, 21 Air said it was reviewing the report and would act on the facts as investigators establish them.

On the day of the crash, the FAA halted every flight at Miami International for several hours. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned travellers to expect significant delays.

The investigation into the cause continues. The report does not say why the speed brakes and reversers stayed idle, and that is the question its final version has to answer.