NewsWLRN — South Florida NPR (Local News)September 10, 2026Miami-Dade County
National Transportation Safety Board Releases Cockpit Voice Recordings from Fatal Amazon Cargo Plane Crash in Miami
Photo: WLRN — South Florida NPR (Local News)
The National Transportation Safety Board released flight information and cockpit voice recordings showing that a pilot repeatedly warned his counterpart about excessive speed during a fatal landing approach in Miami. The Amazon cargo plane careened off the runway, struck a van carrying workers, and killed five people amid strong winds and an unsteady descent.
Read the full story at WLRN — South Florida NPR (Local News)Why It Matters
The NTSB's release of flight data and cockpit recordings highlights safety protocols, cockpit communication factors, and environmental conditions surrounding a fatal runway overshoot involving five fatalities on the ground.
Key Facts
- An Amazon cargo plane careened off a Miami runway and killed five people after approaching too fast.
- A pilot repeatedly warned his counterpart about excessive speed for nearly two minutes before and after touchdown, without receiving a consistent verbal response.
- The aircraft barreled roughly 1,300 feet past the end of the runway, hitting a van carrying workers and an SUV before catching fire.
- Flight data records show the plane touched down nearly halfway down the 9,360-foot runway amid strong winds.
- Pilots briefly disengaged the brakes and pushed throttles up to attempt a takeoff before abandoning the maneuver four seconds later.
- The National Transportation Safety Board compiled and released the cockpit voice recordings and flight data.
- The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built as a passenger aircraft and converted to cargo in 2015.
- The final flight was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier flying packages for Amazon since 2024.
- A separate cargo jet crash occurred in October when a UPS plane crashed after losing its engine during takeoff in Louisville, killing 15 people total.
Who's Mentioned
OrganizationFlightradar24“Flight-tracking site that provided data estimates and aircraft history.”locationNorth Carolina“Base state of cargo carrier 21 Air.”locationLouisville“Location of a previous UPS plane crash.”PersonMary Schiavo“Former Inspector General of the Transportation Department commenting on crew dyn”locationMiami“Location of the runway overshoot and crash.”locationMuhammad Ali International Airport“Location of a separate UPS cargo jet crash in Louisville.”Organization21 Air“North Carolina-based cargo carrier that operated the final flight for Amazon.”PersonSteve Arroyo“Former airline pilot and safety expert discussing cockpit coordination.”OrganizationNational Transportation Safety Board“Compiled and released the cockpit voice recordings and flight data.”OrganizationAmazon“Company utilizing the cargo plane for package delivery.”PersonMike O'Donnell“Former FAA official who commented on potential pilot actions to slow the plane.”