Cargo Jet for Amazon Overruns a Runway at Miami Airport
AVIATION · UNITED STATES
Key Facts
- —What happened A Boeing 767 freighter overran a runway at Miami airport on Sunday afternoon, crossed a road and caught fire.
- —Who was flying it The aircraft belonged to the contract carrier 21 Air and was flying for Amazon Air from San Juan.
- —The toll Five people were killed and five injured, three of them critically, on the figures given by Miami-Dade officials.
- —The catch Officials have not said whether the dead were the two crew or people in the vehicles the aircraft struck.
- —The disruption More than 160 flights were cancelled and about 325 delayed, and one runway is still closed.
- —What comes next The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a go-team and its chair is on site.
Miami is the gateway almost every Latin American traveller passes through. On Sunday afternoon it lost two of its four runways in a matter of minutes.
A cargo aircraft overran a runway at Miami airport on Sunday afternoon and caught fire. Five people were killed.
The aircraft was a Boeing 767 freighter flying for Amazon Air. It was operated by the contract carrier 21 Air, not by Amazon itself.
Flight 7598 had arrived from San Juan in Puerto Rico. It touched down shortly before two o’clock local time.
The aircraft failed to stop. It left the end of Runway 30 at about 112 knots, crossed a perimeter road and struck several vehicles.
What Is Known About the Casualties
Miami-Dade officials put the toll at five dead and five injured. Three of the injured are in a critical condition.
The authorities have not said who the dead were. That distinction matters and is still open.
The two-person flight crew were trapped in the cockpit and cut free by rescuers. Other people were cut out of vehicles on the road.
More than sixty fire and rescue units responded, with about two hundred personnel. The fire burned beside a warehouse lot.
The aircraft came to rest outside the airport perimeter. That is what turned a runway excursion into a road accident.
Identifying victims after a fuel fire takes time. Medical examiners work from records rather than from sight.
Why Miami Matters to Latin America
Miami is the single busiest gateway between the United States and Latin America. Most regional carriers route through it.
That is why the disruption travelled so far so quickly. A closure in Miami is felt in Bogota, Lima and Sao Paulo within hours.
All runways and taxiways closed at about three o’clock. A ground stop ran until half past five.
Two of the airport’s four runways later reopened. Runway 30, where the accident happened, remains closed.
The Scale of the Disruption
More than 160 flights were cancelled by late Sunday. Almost 325 more were delayed, on FlightAware figures.
Delays carried into Monday morning. The US transportation secretary warned travellers to expect more.
Cargo is the quieter half of the problem. Miami handles a large share of the perishable freight that moves north from the region.
Flowers, fish and fruit all move through Miami airport on tight schedules. A day of delay can write off a shipment entirely.
Colombian and Ecuadorean flower exporters are the most exposed. Their product has a shelf life measured in days.
What Airlines Did
Carriers held aircraft at their origin airports during the ground stop. That is cheaper than circling and safer than diverting.
Diversions still went to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Both airports absorbed traffic through Sunday evening.
Rebooking is the slow part. Labor Day weekend left almost no spare seats in the system.
The Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a go-team. Its chair, Jennifer Homendy, is on site as the board member.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating. Neither body has offered a cause.
The aircraft was 32 years old and had been converted from passenger use to freight. That is normal for the cargo fleet and is not in itself a finding.
What to Watch
The first marker is the identity of the dead. Until that is published, the accident’s shape is not clear.
The second is when Runway 30 reopens. A single closed runway at Miami reshapes schedules across the hemisphere.
The third is the preliminary NTSB report. It normally arrives within thirty days and will say what the flight data recorder holds.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who operated the aircraft that crashed at Miami airport?
The Boeing 767 freighter was operated by the contract carrier 21 Air, flying for Amazon Air. It carried Amazon branding, but Amazon does not operate the aircraft itself.
How many people died?
Five people were killed and five injured, three of them critically, on the figures given by Miami-Dade officials. The authorities have not said whether the dead were crew or people on the ground.
How badly were flights affected?
More than 160 flights were cancelled and about 325 delayed by late Sunday. Two of the airport’s four runways have reopened, but Runway 30 remains closed.
Sources: National Transportation Safety Board, Flightradar24, ABC News, TIME, Boston Globe, FlightAware, Rio Times.
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