Amazon Cargo Plane Overruns Miami Runway, Explodes Into Flames; 5 Killed, Several Injured

An Amazon cargo plane overran the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, killing at least five people and injuring five others as the aircraft struck multiple vehicles and erupted into flames near the airfield. The crash sent a thick, dark plume of smoke into the sky over the airport and prompted a large-scale emergency response, disrupting air travel across one of the country's busiest international gateways. The Boeing 767-300, operated by North Carolina-based cargo carrier 21 Air as flight 7598 on behalf of Amazon's Prime Air network, was arriving from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it overran Runway 30 at roughly 1:58 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration and Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz.

After leaving the runway, the aircraft plowed across a nearby roadway used by warehouse workers and businesses surrounding the airport, struck multiple vehicles and ultimately came to rest in a field next to the airfield. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the plane was traveling at nearly 130 miles per hour when it left the usable portion of the runway, and a subsequent review of air traffic control audio indicated that the pilots did not declare an emergency before attempting to land. Investigators have not yet said what caused the aircraft to fail to stop in time. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied "Ray" Jadallah said five people were confirmed dead in the crash, while five others were injured.

Three of the injured were listed in critical condition and taken to a trauma center, while two others were hospitalized with less severe injuries. Several victims were trapped inside vehicles struck by the plane and had to be freed by rescue crews using specialized extrication equipment. More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene, arriving to find the aircraft already engulfed in flames. Jadallah described the blaze as a "very complex fire" involving the plane's engine compartments, which took firefighters significant time to bring under control. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said emergency crews reached the crash site within seconds, a response she credited with helping limit the scale of casualties.

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Beyond the vehicle occupants, a search-and-rescue operation was launched to free the pilot and co-pilot, both of whom were reportedly trapped inside the cockpit following the crash. Broadcastify radio traffic captured first responders describing the urgency of the scene, including references to flames spreading across the aircraft as crews worked to reach those trapped inside. A separate technical rescue team was deployed to extricate people from the vehicles struck by the plane on the access road. Despite the intensity of the fire, the aircraft reportedly came to rest largely intact on its belly beside the roadway, near two semi-trucks, according to images and video shared from the scene.

Amazon confirmed the incident in a statement issued through its Prime Air division. "We're heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today's incident at Miami International Airport," said company spokesperson Kelly Nantel, adding that the company's thoughts were with those affected by the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was dispatching an investigative team to Miami to determine the cause of the runway overrun, a process that typically takes months to complete. In the immediate aftermath, all runways and taxiways at Miami International Airport were temporarily closed and a ground stop was ordered, halting incoming and outgoing flights.

By evening, airport officials said two of the airport's four runways had reopened, though the disruption delayed roughly 250 flights, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware, with residual delays expected even after normal operations resumed. The aircraft involved in Sunday's crash had a lengthy service history before its conversion into a cargo carrier. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted for cargo use in 2015, according to Flightradar24. Officials have not yet clarified whether all of the deceased were aboard the aircraft itself or among those in the vehicles it struck on the ground, and authorities have not released the identities of the victims pending notification of their families.

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