At least 5 dead after Amazon cargo jet overshoots Miami runway

At least five people were killed and several others hospitalized after an Amazon-branded cargo jet overshot a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, crashing through an airport perimeter and striking multiple vehicles before erupting in flames.

Cargo flight from Puerto Rico ends in fiery overrun

Publicly available flight data and local coverage identify the aircraft as a Boeing 767-300 operating as a Prime Air cargo service into Miami from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday, September 6, 2026. The widebody jet was being flown on behalf of Amazon by North Carolina based cargo carrier 21 Air, a company that operates freighter services across the Americas.

Reports indicate that the aircraft landed at Miami International Airport shortly after 2 p.m. local time and continued beyond the usable length of the diagonal runway. Instead of stopping on the pavement, the jet crossed a grassy area and broke through airport boundaries that separate active runways from surrounding roads and businesses.

Images and video shared by news outlets show the aircraft tipped forward on its nose with its landing gear collapsed, surrounded by burned vehicles and scorched ground. Thick black smoke rose above the airport as fire crews worked to bring the blaze under control, while emergency vehicles clustered around the damaged jet and adjacent roadway.

Coverage from multiple media organizations notes that the pilots survived the impact and were taken for medical evaluation. The full number of people on board the freighter has not been widely detailed, but early reports emphasize that the majority of casualties occurred on the ground in vehicles struck by the overshooting plane.

Five dead and multiple injured as plane hits vehicles

According to published coverage from local and international outlets, at least five people were killed when the cargo jet left the runway and collided with cars on a roadway near the 2100 block of Northwest 42nd Avenue, which runs along the eastern side of Miami International Airport. The crash area includes access points used by airport staff, commercial traffic, and nearby businesses, and is located directly in line with the overrun end of the impacted runway.

Reports indicate that five additional people were injured, including three in critical condition who were transported to trauma centers and two with less severe injuries who were taken to local hospitals. Several of the injured were inside vehicles struck by the aircraft as it crossed the road. Rescue crews used specialized equipment to reach individuals trapped inside crushed cars and to access the damaged cockpit.

Images from the scene show at least one vehicle pinned under part of the aircraft structure and others burned alongside the fuselage. Firefighters deployed foam to control burning jet fuel around the wreckage and the vehicles, while medical teams established triage areas close to the crash site to assess and stabilize victims before transport.

Regional and national outlets note that on Sunday afternoon investigators and emergency responders were still working to identify some of the victims and clarify whether all of the deceased were in vehicles or if any were on board the aircraft. That process is expected to continue as authorities match passenger and crew lists with hospital and medical examiner information.

Airport operations disrupted at one of the nation’s busiest hubs

The crash immediately disrupted operations at Miami International Airport, a key gateway for both passenger and cargo traffic across the Americas. Initial reports describe a temporary halt in movements as the airport enacted an emergency response plan, with some flights put into holding patterns or diverted while responders secured the runway area and surrounding roads.

Subsequent updates from airport and airline tracking services indicate that other runways at Miami gradually reopened as the situation stabilized, but the diagonal runway involved in the crash remained closed for an extended period. Travelers experienced delays and scattered cancellations, particularly on routes involving widebody aircraft that commonly use longer runways.

Ground transportation around the airport was also affected. Sections of Northwest 42nd Avenue and nearby access roads were shut down as crash trucks, ambulances, and law enforcement vehicles converged on the scene. Drivers heading to the airport were rerouted, and some public transit services adjusted stops to avoid the blocked area.

For travelers passing through Miami in the hours after the crash, the most visible signs of disruption were increased congestion inside terminals, fluctuating departure boards, and the distant column of dark smoke rising from the airfield. Airline alerts and airport notifications urged passengers to check flight status before heading to the airport and to anticipate longer-than-usual wait times.

Investigators focus on landing and runway conditions

Federal investigators and aviation safety specialists have begun examining why the Boeing 767 was unable to stop on the runway, with early attention centering on the touchdown point, aircraft speed, and braking performance. Reports summarizing initial expert commentary suggest that a key question will be whether the jet landed too far down the runway or too fast for the available distance, particularly on a diagonal runway that is shorter than Miami’s primary east west strips.

Weather information at the time of the accident pointed to generally typical South Florida conditions, with no immediate indications of severe storms, low visibility, or extreme crosswinds. However, investigators are expected to review wind, runway surface conditions, and any potential contamination such as standing water or rubber buildup that could have affected braking.

Technical teams will likely study flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder information, once recovered, to reconstruct the final approach profile, thrust and spoiler deployment, and the pilots’ actions in the seconds after touchdown. Maintenance records and the aircraft’s braking and thrust reverser systems are also expected to receive close scrutiny as part of a broader effort to determine whether mechanical issues played a role.

Aviation analysts note that while runway overruns are less frequent than other types of landing incidents, their location at the edge of airports can produce particularly severe consequences when surrounding areas are densely developed. In Miami’s case, the proximity of roads, parking lots, and commercial buildings to runway ends left little margin when a heavy freighter continued beyond the pavement.

Safety questions for cargo operations and airport surroundings

The Miami crash is drawing renewed attention to the safety of cargo operations at busy mixed use airports, where freighter flights share infrastructure with large numbers of passenger flights. Prime Air and its contracted operators have expanded rapidly in recent years to meet e commerce demand, increasing the volume of large jets arriving and departing on tight schedules.

Travel industry observers point out that Miami International Airport is not only one of the United States’ leading international passenger gateways but also a major cargo hub linking Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America. The combination means that any major incident on its runways can reverberate across passenger itineraries, supply chains, and regional tourism flows.

The circumstances of the crash are also likely to feed into ongoing discussions about land use and protection zones around airport runways. Many large airports are surrounded by roads, warehouses, and commercial developments that have grown closer over time, narrowing the buffer between aircraft operations and public spaces. When a plane overruns a runway, vehicles and people on nearby streets can be directly in the path, as seen in Miami.

For travelers and aviation workers, the coming investigation will be closely watched for recommendations on approach procedures, runway use, and potential infrastructure changes such as expanded safety areas or engineered materials that help slow runaway aircraft. Any resulting guidance could influence how cargo flights are scheduled and routed at major hubs and how cities plan development near airport perimeters.

NBC 6 South Florida: 5 dead, 5 injured after Amazon cargo plane overruns runway at MIA

CBS Miami: At least 5 dead, 5 injured after Amazon cargo plane overran runway near MIA

Euronews: Amazon cargo plane overshoots Miami runway

Sky News: At least five dead in Amazon plane crash at Miami airport

AP News: At least 5 dead after Amazon cargo plane barreled off runway at Miami airport