A Boeing 767-300 cargo plane operated by 21 Air crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, resulting in five fatalities and five injuries. The aircraft was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, carrying two crew members on what was its third flight of the day. Upon landing, the plane overran the runway and struck a white Ford van operated by a contract cleaning company, which contained seven people. The aircraft then breached the perimeter fence and collided with a Toyota Corolla carrying three occupants before coming to rest approximately 1,300 feet beyond the runway.
National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy described the crash scene as “utter devastation” during a press conference held at the airport on Monday. She indicated that determining a cause was premature at that stage of the investigation. The NTSB has recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, which were being transported to agency headquarters for analysis. Homendy stated that recovering victims’ remains was the immediate priority, with a full investigation and aircraft access to follow.
Investigators plan to examine multiple factors including flight history, crew qualifications and training, radar data, and aircraft performance. Separate examination teams will assess the plane’s systems and engines, while meteorological analysis will evaluate conditions at the time of landing. A BBC Verify analysis indicated an active thunderstorm was occurring near the airport shortly before the crash, with wind gusts reaching 26 knots. A key focus of the investigation will be whether the runway required an engineered materials arresting system designed to slow and stop overrunning aircraft.
Two of the airport’s four runways remained closed following the incident. The crash occurred during the Labor Day holiday weekend, one of the year’s busiest travel periods, and caused cancellations that affected incoming aircraft and flight crew schedules. Amazon, which owned the cargo, stated it was “heartbroken” by the loss of life and indicated cooperation with authorities. The aircraft operator, 21 Air, expressed condolences and confirmed it was collaborating with the investigation.
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