Miami, United States: At least five people were killed and five others injured after an Amazon Air cargo aircraft operated by 21 Air overran Runway 30 while landing at Miami International Airport in Florida on Sunday, September 6, 2026, before leaving the airport grounds, striking multiple vehicles and catching fire.
The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 freighter, was operating as 21 Air Flight 7598 (CSB7598) on behalf of Amazon Air. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the flight had departed Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and overran the runway at Miami International Airport at around 2 p.m. local time.
Flight-tracking data published by Flightradar24 identified the aircraft as N1997A, a Boeing 767-33A(ER)(BDSF). The aircraft was approximately 32 years old and had originally operated as a passenger aircraft before being converted into a freighter.
Flightradar24 data showed Flight 7598 departing San Juan at approximately 15:42 UTC and touching down in Miami at 17:53 UTC, or 1:53 p.m. local time, following a flight of about two hours and 11 minutes. The tracking service said ADS-B data showed the aircraft travelling at approximately 112 knots as it exited the usable runway area.
The FAA said in its official preliminary statement: “21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing at Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 6. The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The FAA will investigate.”
After overrunning Runway 30, the aircraft continued beyond the airport’s operational area and struck several vehicles. The Boeing subsequently caught fire, sending heavy black smoke into the sky and triggering a major emergency response.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the aircraft struck multiple vehicles near the 2100 block of Northwest 42nd Avenue. More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units, involving approximately 200 emergency personnel, responded to the scene.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah described the response as highly difficult, saying: “What we found was a very complex situation.”
Emergency crews arrived to find the aircraft on fire and producing heavy smoke. Firefighters deployed foam and specialised airport firefighting equipment to tackle the blaze while rescue teams searched the wreckage and surrounding area for victims.
The response was further complicated because the pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the aircraft’s cockpit, while other people were trapped in vehicles struck during the runway overrun. Rescue personnel also had to extricate at least one person who was pinned beneath a vehicle, according to officials.
Authorities confirmed that five people were killed and five others were injured. Three of the injured were transported to a trauma centre in critical condition, while two others were taken to local hospitals with less severe injuries.
As of the latest updates available Sunday evening, authorities had not publicly identified the victims or confirmed exactly which of the five people killed were aboard the aircraft and which may have been on the ground. Officials had earlier said it was too soon to determine whether the fatalities involved aircraft occupants, people in vehicles, or both.
The accident also caused an active fuel leak, creating an additional hazard for firefighters and rescue personnel. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the leak was being mitigated as emergency operations continued.
Weather conditions at Miami at the time of the accident are expected to form part of the investigation. Flightradar24 reported thunderstorms and gusting winds at the airport around the time of landing. Its weather data showed winds of approximately 17 knots, gusting to 26 knots, along with thunderstorm activity in the area.
However, investigators have not determined whether weather played any role in the crash.
The accident brought operations at Miami International Airport to a halt. The FAA imposed a full ground stop while first responders assessed the scene and emergency crews worked at the crash site.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said: “We’ve issued a full ground stop at Miami International while first responders assess the scene after an Amazon cargo plane overran the runway. If you’re traveling through the area, please expect significant delays and potential cancellations.”
The ground stop lasted for approximately three hours before being lifted. By Sunday evening, two of Miami International Airport’s four runways had reopened, according to Miami-Dade Aviation officials, although significant disruption continued across the airport’s flight schedule.
More than 160 flights were cancelled and nearly 325 flights delayed by late Sunday, according to flight-disruption data cited by local and international media. The average delay for arriving flights was reported at approximately six and a half hours at one stage.
Amazon confirmed that the aircraft involved was operating for its air cargo network but clarified that the flight itself was operated by 21 Air.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel initially said: “We can confirm that an Amazon Air plane operated by 21 Air experienced an incident while attempting to land at Miami International Airport.”
She added: “This is a fast-moving situation and we’re still gathering details. We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened. Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved. We’re doing everything we can to support those affected.”
Following confirmation of the fatalities, Amazon issued a further statement saying it was “heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport.”
The company added that its “deepest sympathies” were with the families, loved ones and everyone affected by the accident and said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.
The aircraft was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo airline that operates aircraft on behalf of Amazon’s air cargo network.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the fatal accident, while the FAA is also investigating. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy travelled to Miami with the agency’s investigative team.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft’s landing performance, the point at which it touched down on Runway 30, weather and wind conditions, aircraft systems, crew actions, runway conditions and the sequence of events that led the Boeing 767 to leave the runway.
The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, and authorities have not announced any preliminary findings regarding mechanical failure, pilot actions or weather.
The NTSB is expected to provide further details as investigators document the wreckage, recover relevant flight data and begin analysing the circumstances surrounding the September 6 runway overrun.
