Amazon Pauses 21 Air Operations After Miami Runway Overrun
Amazon said Sunday, September 13, 2026, that it had paused operations with 21 Air after the carrier’s Boeing 767 cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport on September 6, killing five people on the ground and injuring five others.
The decision changes Amazon’s commercial relationship with the operator of Flight 7598 while federal investigators examine what happened. It is a company action—not an FAA grounding, an NTSB recommendation or a final finding against 21 Air.
What happened in Miami
Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-33A cargo airplane, overran the runway after landing at Miami International Airport. The aircraft crossed about 1,300 feet beyond the runway and struck vehicles, including a van carrying workers for an aircraft-cleaning company. All five people killed were in the van, and five others were injured, according to The Associated Press.
The FAA’s official accident record says the commercial flight overran the runway at about 2 p.m. local time. The aircraft had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The FAA said it would investigate, while the National Transportation Safety Board is providing the detailed investigative updates.
What the preliminary recorder data show
The NTSB said it recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder and successfully read both at its vehicle-recorder laboratory in Washington. The agency cautioned that the information is preliminary and subject to change.
The cockpit recording shows that one pilot warned the other that the aircraft was traveling too fast during the approach. The recording also captured repeated automated “sink rate” warnings and multiple “too low terrain” alerts. Sounds similar to touchdown occurred about 31 seconds before the end of the cockpit recording, and a pilot called for a go-around about 15 seconds later. The NTSB said the cockpit and flight-data timelines had not been precisely synchronized.
Flight-data-recorder information shows the nose and right main landing gear touched down at a groundspeed of 158 knots. Brakes were applied, then released as the throttles briefly increased to a level consistent with go-around thrust. The throttles were reduced to idle power and the brakes were applied again.
The FDR recording ended with a groundspeed of 65 knots. The NTSB said there was no indication in the recorded data that speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed before the recording ended.
What investigators have not established
The recorder findings do not determine why the landing went wrong. The NTSB is still examining the crew’s actions, weather, maintenance records, the aircraft’s history, 21 Air’s operations and procedures, and other possible airport or operational factors.
The full cockpit-voice-recorder transcript has not been released. The preliminary sequence therefore does not provide a final explanation of the crew’s decisions, coordination or response to the warnings.
Investigators have not assigned cause or responsibility to the pilots, 21 Air, Amazon, maintenance providers or the airport. The early recorder data should not be treated as a final determination of pilot error, maintenance failure, weather effects, cargo issues or runway-design problems.
Why Amazon’s decision matters
North Carolina-based 21 Air had flown packages for Amazon since 2024, according to The Associated Press. Amazon said it had spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing the surrounding circumstances before deciding to pause its operations with the carrier.
The move highlights the safety and accountability questions that can arise when major delivery networks rely on contracted cargo operators. For now, there is no indication that Amazon’s decision means a nationwide delivery disruption. Customers should look for direct notices from Amazon if individual shipments are affected.
What comes next
The NTSB said it would convene a cockpit-voice-recorder group to review the flight recording and prepare a written transcript. Additional factual updates are expected as investigators examine the aircraft, operator, crew, weather and airport factors together.
The central unresolved question is not whether the aircraft was traveling fast or received warnings; the preliminary data establish those points. It is what combination of circumstances led to the landing continuing, a late go-around being attempted and the aircraft leaving the paved surface.
Sources
Look for updates to this story
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