Amazon suspends partnership with 21 Air after Miami crash

Amazon has suspended its partnership with cargo carrier 21 Air following the deadly crash of a Boeing 767-300 freighter operating within the Amazon Air network at Miami International Airport.

The September 6 accident killed five people after the aircraft reportedly landed at excessive speed, overran the runway by about 1,300 feet and struck a van carrying workers from an aircraft cleaning company.

The five people who died were inside the van when the plane crashed into it. The aircraft also hit two other vehicles before coming to a stop and catching fire.

Both pilots survived the accident, while five additional people were injured in the crash.

Amazon said it had spent the days following the incident supporting investigators and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the accident before deciding to temporarily halt operations with 21 Air.

The company said it would continue cooperating with authorities as the investigation into the crash proceeds.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the federal investigation, said the pilots recognized only late in the landing approach that the aircraft was traveling too quickly.

One of the pilots reportedly warned about the excessive speed approximately one minute before touchdown, while several automated systems were also designed to alert the flight crew.

Flight data showed that the aircraft’s nose landing gear and right main landing gear touched the runway at 158 knots, or about 181 mph.

The left main landing gear touched down at approximately 134 knots, according to information released by investigators.

The flight data recorder indicated that about 15 seconds after touchdown, one pilot called for the landing to be aborted.

The pilots then increased engine thrust in an attempt to lift the aircraft back into the air, but the plane was already approaching the end of the runway at roughly 120 knots, or 138 mph.

Four seconds later, the crew reduced engine power and reapplied the brakes as the aircraft continued toward the runway’s end.

The NTSB said investigators have found no evidence that the pilots deployed the aircraft’s speed brakes or thrust reversers during the landing.

The absence of those systems may have contributed to the aircraft’s inability to stop before leaving the runway, although the investigation remains ongoing.

Investigators have not yet released the complete cockpit voice transcript, meaning the full sequence of communications and decisions made by the pilots has not been established publicly.

21 Air said it remains focused on supporting the families affected by the accident and cooperating with the NTSB, Amazon and other partners during the investigation.

The aircraft involved was approximately 32 years old, according to flight-tracking data.

The Boeing 767 was originally built as a passenger aircraft and operated for several international airlines for more than two decades before being converted into a freighter in 2015.

The aircraft began carrying packages for Amazon in 2024 and was operating a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami when the accident occurred.

The plane was carrying approximately 32,000 pounds of cargo, most of it reportedly consisting of contact lenses, according to NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy.

Amazon’s decision to pause operations with 21 Air adds another layer to an investigation that is examining the aircraft’s speed, landing decisions and braking procedures leading up to the fatal runway overrun.