MIAMI (TNND) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating a tragic incident at Miami International Airport where an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway, killing five people on Wednesday.
The Boeing 767-33A cargo jet, identified as 21 Air Flight 7598, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it struck a van used for transporting plane-cleaning crews. All five victims were identified as Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
Preliminary analysis of the cockpit voice recorder indicates pilot concerns about excessive speed during the landing approach. The recording noted a warning about the aircraft moving too fast, with automated alerts from the Ground Proximity Warning System indicating “sink rate” and “too low terrain” as the jet neared the runway.
NTSB investigators revealed that the nose and right main landing gear touched down at a groundspeed of 158 knots (about 182 mph), with the left main gear touching down later at 134 knots. About 15 seconds prior to a proposed go-around procedure, the aircraft began to lose control, leaving the paved runway surface.
Investigators noted that the final recorded groundspeed was 65 knots, with no indication that the speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed. The NTSB is conducting interviews with the flight crew to gather more information regarding the operation of the aircraft's controls.
Amazon extended condolences to the victims' families, stating it is cooperating fully with the NTSB's investigation. The cargo jet was carrying approximately 32,000 pounds of non-hazardous cargo, primarily contact lenses.