More news on this day
Flight disruption at Miami International Airport continued into Monday after an Amazon-branded cargo jet overran a runway and crashed into vehicles, killing five people and leaving hundreds of passengers facing cancellations and long delays.
Get the latest news straight to your inbox!
Runway overrun triggers deadly crash and airport ground stop
Publicly available information shows that the crash occurred early Sunday afternoon, September 6, when a Boeing 767-300F operating as Prime Air Flight 7598 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport. The aircraft, operated by North Carolina based cargo carrier 21 Air on behalf of Amazon, came to rest beyond the pavement and was engulfed in flames.
Reports indicate that the freighter barreled off the airport’s diagonal runway at around 2 p.m. local time, breached the airport perimeter and struck several vehicles on a road near the northwest end of the airfield. Images shared by local outlets and travelers showed the aircraft’s fuselage broken and scorched, with its tail section protruding above emergency equipment as thick black smoke rose into the sky.
According to published coverage from local and national media, at least five people were killed and five others injured in the crash, including occupants of the vehicles hit by the aircraft. The flight had originated at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, a key cargo gateway linking Puerto Rico to South Florida, underscoring the route’s importance for both e-commerce and regional logistics.
The impact and subsequent fire prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to order a full ground stop at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon while firefighters battled the blaze and responders secured the scene. Airport operations across all runways were temporarily halted as emergency crews worked around the wreckage and investigators began documenting evidence.
Flight chaos extends into Monday despite partial reopening
Although the initial ground stop lasted roughly three hours, disruption to passenger travel continued well beyond the immediate emergency. Data from flight tracking service FlightAware cited in multiple news reports showed more than 160 cancellations and nearly 325 delays at Miami International Airport by late Sunday, as airlines diverted inbound traffic and rescheduled departures.
Local Miami coverage on Monday morning described crowds of frustrated travelers inside the terminals still coping with rolling delays and last minute schedule changes. Passengers described missed connections, diversions to alternate hubs and overnight disruptions as airlines attempted to reposition crews and aircraft around the closure of one of Miami’s major runways.
Airport officials told local media that by early Monday two of Miami’s four runways were open, allowing a reduced level of arrivals and departures to continue while the crash site remained secured. Even with that partial reopening, published reports noted that dozens of flights were either significantly delayed or canceled for a second consecutive day, with some domestic services particularly affected.
Travelers heading to or from Miami International Airport were urged in public advisories to check flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport. With schedules still in flux, carriers were updating departure and arrival times throughout the morning and rerouting some flights through other southeastern hubs to avoid bottlenecks.
Cargo operations near normal as passenger schedules lag
While passenger services experienced sustained disruption, early indications on Monday suggested that cargo flows were recovering more quickly. Trade press specializing in air freight reported that cargo operations at Miami appeared to be running broadly normally by the start of the business day, less than 24 hours after the accident brought movements to a halt.
Those reports cited the reopening of key taxiways and runways used by freighter operators on the airport’s cargo side, as well as continued truck access to handling facilities around the perimeter. Miami is one of the busiest cargo hubs in the United States, with significant volumes of e-commerce, perishables and Latin America bound freight moving through the airport on a daily basis.
The Amazon branded aircraft involved in the crash was part of a rapidly expanding express cargo network that links Miami with Latin America and the Caribbean. Information from industry publications shows that 21 Air, which operated the flight, has been growing its fleet and has signaled ambitions to add larger widebody freighters for longer haul routes.
Even as freight flows stabilize, logistics specialists note that the temporary shutdown and subsequent congestion may ripple through supply chains for several days. Shippers reliant on tight connections, including fresh produce exporters, pharmaceutical firms and e-commerce merchants, are expected to monitor onward delays as airlines work through backlogs.
Investigators focus on landing and runway overrun
Federal safety investigators began arriving in Miami late Sunday and early Monday to examine why the 767 freighter was unable to stop on the runway. According to national coverage, the inquiry is expected to center on the critical moments of the landing, including the aircraft’s speed, touchdown point and runway conditions at the time.
Early accounts cited by major news organizations suggest that the jet may have touched down late in the available landing distance, limiting the margin for braking. Video and still images shared online show the aircraft leaving the paved surface and continuing across grass before impacting the road, although investigators have not yet released any formal findings.
Inquiries of this type typically involve analysis of flight data and cockpit voice recorders, inspection of braking and thrust reversal systems, and a detailed review of weather and runway friction measurements. Maintenance history, crew training records and air traffic control communications are also routinely examined to determine whether a combination of human, mechanical or environmental factors contributed to the overrun.
Miami International Airport has experienced serious cargo accidents in the past, although events of this severity have become relatively rare in recent decades. Aviation safety analysts note that major cargo crashes involving U.S. operators with multiple fatalities now occur infrequently enough that each case receives intense scrutiny intended to yield broader safety lessons.
Travelers advised to brace for lingering disruption
For passengers with near term itineraries involving Miami, publicly available guidance from the airport and airlines emphasizes flexibility and close monitoring of schedules. Carriers are waiving some change fees and fare differences on affected routes, allowing travelers to rebook around the heaviest peaks of disruption or reroute through alternate hubs.
Travel industry observers note that while the immediate operational impact is concentrated in South Florida, the knock on effects are being felt across domestic and regional networks. Aircraft and crews that were scheduled to pass through Miami on Sunday and Monday have been displaced by diversions and cancellations, creating occasional delays for flights with no direct connection to the crash.
As investigators continue their work at the crash site, at least one runway remains out of service. Industry data providers suggest that it may take several days for Miami’s operations to fully normalize as airlines reposition fleets, clear passenger backlogs and return schedules to regular patterns.
Travelers planning to pass through the airport this week are encouraged to allow extra time for check in and security, verify gate assignments frequently and remain prepared for day of travel changes. While the broader U.S. aviation system remains resilient, the events in Miami highlight how a single runway accident can rapidly cascade into widespread disruption for both passengers and cargo customers.
Associated Press coverage of the Miami cargo crash
Local 10 Miami report on ongoing delays and cancellations
NBC 6 South Florida reporting on the accident and disruptions