MIAMI (TNND) — Authorities confirmed that five people died when an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Wednesday.
The incident occurred shortly after 2:41 p.m. when the aircraft, identified as 21 Air Flight 7598, struck a van containing plane-cleaning crew members. The victims were identified by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office 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 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Boeing 767 was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Preliminary cockpit voice recordings revealed concerns about excessive speed during landing, with warnings issued from the Ground Proximity Warning System.
Investigators reported that the aircraft touched down at a groundspeed of 158 knots (about 182 mph), with the left main landing gear making contact several seconds later at 134 knots. A call for a “go-around” was made shortly before the jet appeared to leave the runway.
NTSB spokesperson Chihoon Shin stated that interviews with the flight crew are planned to gather additional operational details. The jet was carrying approximately 32,000 pounds of non-hazardous cargo.
Amazon expressed its condolences and is cooperating with the investigation, emphasizing the loss felt by the community. The agency confirmed that lane closures occurred due to the incident, and further investigation is ongoing.