The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced plans to speak with the two surviving pilots involved in the recent Amazon cargo jet crash in Miami. According to NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, the cockpit voice recorder retrieved from the aircraft holds over two hours of clear audio data, which will be reviewed after the pilots provide their firsthand account of the incident.
During a briefing, NTSB investigator Chihoon Shin disclosed that the flight data recording indicated the nose landing gear and right main landing gear made contact 30 seconds before the recording ended, followed by the left main landing gear touching down 19 seconds prior to the conclusion. Shin noted that shortly after, the brakes were released, and the throttles were adjusted to go-around thrust levels, with no evidence of speed brakes or thrust reversers deployment.
The tragic event resulted in the loss of five lives on the ground as the jet overran the runway upon landing, colliding with a van on airport premises before crashing through a fence and hitting an SUV in a city street. The van’s occupants, employees of Professional Ocean Service Corp., were the individuals who lost their lives. The company expressed condolences to the affected families and emphasized the deep bond shared among its employees.
The deceased victims were identified by the Miami-Dade sheriff as Rolando Aleman Leon, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, Julio C. Pineda, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo. Additionally, five individuals sustained injuries, with two in critical condition and one in stable condition, as per the latest update.
The damaged van and SUV, both extensively impacted by the collision, remained at the crash site alongside the Amazon jet, which displayed visible damage near the “Prime Air” section. The flight, originating from Puerto Rico, encountered stormy weather conditions in Miami, with the NTSB reporting the plane traveled approximately 396 meters beyond the runway’s end.
Despite lacking a runway excursion system, Miami’s airport complies with federal regulations by providing a safety buffer of 305 meters at the runway’s termination, meeting safety standards. The cargo flight was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based carrier, utilizing a 32-year-old Boeing 767 that had been converted to a cargo aircraft in 2015 after serving as a passenger plane for over two decades under various airlines.
Due to the ongoing investigation, two runways at Miami’s airport remain closed until the NTSB concludes its examination of the crash site and gathers all necessary information.