NTSB Investigation Reveals Pilots Attempted to Abort Landing After Touchdown in Fatal Miami Cargo Crash

Federal safety investigators examining a deadly cargo aircraft crash at Miami International Airport have determined that the flight crew appeared to attempt an aborted landing only after the plane had already touched down on the runway.

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane failed to stop on the landing strip, overrunning the end of the paved surface by approximately 1,300 feet (396 meters). The runaway aircraft crashed into two vehicles situated past the runway, leaving five people dead and five others injured.

According to investigative findings, the aircraft involved in the fatal runway excursion was a 32-year-old Boeing 767 freighter. The flight was operated on behalf of Amazon by 21 Air, an air cargo carrier based out of Miami.

Initial analysis of the recovered flight data recorder has provided investigators with a detailed, second-by-second timeline of the jetliner's final moments on the ground. The recorded data shows that 30 seconds before the recording ceased, the Boeing 767 made initial contact with the runway surface when the nose landing gear and right main landing gear touched down at a speed of 158 knots, or approximately 181 miles per hour.

The aircraft continued down the runway, with the left main landing gear touching down 11 seconds later, which was 19 seconds prior to the end of the flight data recording. At the moment the left gear made contact with the runway, the plane was moving at a recorded speed of 134 knots.

Shortly after all landing gear units were on the ground, the flight recorder logged a major change in control inputs. The wheel brakes were released and the engine throttles were pushed forward to power settings consistent with a go-around maneuver, suggesting the pilots initiated a late attempt to abort the landing and lift the heavy jet back into the air.

However, that effort to take off again was quickly abandoned. Just 11 seconds before the end of the data recording, the throttles were pulled back to idle power and the wheel brakes were reapplied by the crew in an effort to bring the aircraft to a halt within the remaining runway length.

Despite the renewed braking effort, the aircraft ran out of usable runway. The flight data recorder registered a final ground speed of 65 knots right as the recording ended, demonstrating that the cargo plane was still traveling at significant speed when it left the pavement and struck the ground vehicles.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators also observed an absence of standard deceleration mechanisms during the rollout. The recorded flight data showed no indication that the pilots deployed the aircraft's wing speed brakes or engaged the engine thrust reversers, both of which are standard tools used to assist in slowing down transport category aircraft upon touchdown.

The safety board has detailed the backgrounds and experience levels of the two-person flight crew navigating the freighter. The flight was commanded by a 55-year-old captain who possessed 7,145 total hours of flight experience and had earned his type rating qualification for the Boeing 767 earlier in May.

The first officer, aged 37, had accumulated 2,655 total flying hours across his aviation career. Safety board records show that he had completed his type rating certification on the Boeing 767 airframe in April 2025.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed that agency investigators are scheduled to conduct comprehensive interviews with both pilots on Wednesday. Following those formal sessions, the safety board expects to release further factual information obtained from the cockpit voice recorder, which captured internal cockpit discussions and communications prior to the crash.

Homendy is on the scene heading a substantial investigative effort at Miami International Airport, directing a team of 32 specialized safety board investigators who are documenting physical evidence, examining operational factors, and analyzing the wreckage.

The fatal landing, which occurred at 1:53 p.m. EDT (1753 GMT), was the third flight sector of the day for the aircraft and crew. The Boeing 767 had flown earlier on Sunday from Cincinnati to Miami, before completing a flight from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then returning to Miami on the flight that ended in the accident.

The crash resulted in significant disruption to airport infrastructure, leading to the initial closure of two active runways. By late Tuesday, safety investigators were able to release one of the shut runways back to airport authorities, permitting departures to resume in an easterly direction while the full investigation continues.