A video posted on social media captured the moment of the tragedy at Miami International Airport when an Amazon cargo plane veered off the runway,resulting in it crashing into vehicles and five people losing their lives.

According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Hannah Walden, the runways at Miami International Airport are not equipped with the Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS), a special crumb-concrete material designed to safely bring down aircraft that overshoot the runway.

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As the New York Times notes, the FAA has been recommending for years that airports install the system; however, this recommendation is not mandatory, and airports may use other FAA-approved methods to reduce the risk of aircraft straying from runways.

The moment of the crash:

Footage shows the moment that 21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway and crashed at Miami International Airport. According to reports, at least 5 people are dead, with an unspecified number of injuries. pic.twitter.com/cOKhKwoTwh

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 7, 2026

Another video shows the Boeing 767-300 landing, but for some reason its right rear wheel does not touch the ground, leading many to question the aircraft’s approach speed.

September 6 Accident at Miami International Airport. 21-Air Boeing 767-33A(ER)(BDSF), operating for Amazon Prime Air (N1997A) as flight number CSB-7598. Flight route from SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) to MIA (MIAMI); direct flight reached Flight Level 380 and a maximum ground speed of 472 kts on… pic.twitter.com/PqoKm8TDfK

— Capt. B. Parthosarothy (@pilotpartho) September 7, 2026

In addition to the five fatalities, five other people were injured, with three of them in critical condition.

The aircraft that crashed was manufactured in 1994, according to Cirium records, with Boeing describing it as the “most versatile” and “cost-effective” medium-range wide-body cargo aircraft, with a total cargo volume of 15,469 cubic feet. The ill-fated aircraft had taken off from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

NEW: An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 cargo jet overshot the runway at Miami International Airport and caught fire.

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Heavy black smoke is visible from across the city.

The FAA has issued a ground stop. pic.twitter.com/RNL2db0GRI

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— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 6, 2026

This is the second serious accident in the history of Amazon Air; in February 2019, a cargo aircraft flying from Miami to Houston crashed in a marshy area in Texas, killing all three people on board. The investigation attributed the accident to human error, as the co-pilot — who had concealed previous failures in his training at other airlines — lost his bearings and put the aircraft on a steep descent.

Amazon Air, Amazon’s cargo airline, is a key part of the company’s global distribution network, operating more than 250 flights daily. The company was founded in 2015 and operates approximately 100 leased aircraft, which transport packages between roughly 60 airports in Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Africa. The company was originally named “Prime Air,” but was renamed “Amazon Air” in 2017 to distinguish it from Amazon’s autonomous drone delivery service, which now operates under the brand name “Prime Air.” Nevertheless, many of Amazon Air’s aircraft—including the one that crashed on Sunday at Miami Airport—still bear the Prime Air logo.

Sunday’s accident brought to mind another plane crash at Miami International Airport in August 1997. At that time, a Fine Air cargo plane crashed during takeoff, skidding across an open field and crossing a busy highway. Five people lost their lives in the accident, including a motorist.

Source: Proto Thema