Amazon cargo plane crashed at Miami airport after landing at high speed in poor weather, killing five; NTSB examining runway safety systems

A Boeing 767 operated by 21 Air overran the runway at Miami International Airport on September 6, killing five people and injuring five others, three critically. According to the Washington Examiner's reporting, the aircraft arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, with two crew members aboard and struck airport infrastructure, a service vehicle, and a civilian car before coming to rest 1,300 feet beyond the paved runway surface.

The crash sequence has prompted investigators to examine whether engineered runway safety systems could have prevented the aircraft from traveling so far. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy described the scene as "utter devastation," with debris scattered across airport grounds and surrounding areas.

According to PBS NewsHour's reporting, the aircraft touched down approximately halfway down the 9,000-foot runway at about 185 miles per hour, a speed substantially higher than expected for approach. Video from the scene showed the aircraft still airborne far down the runway before landing, with the left rear landing gear not fully settled on the ground, per PBS's account. The plane left the runway at approximately 130 miles per hour into grass and unpaved ground.

Investigators identified specific atmospheric conditions that complicated the landing. Per PBS, the aircraft experienced a non-stabilized approach in unstable meteorological conditions with gusty winds, a tailwind with a crosswind component, and arrived significantly above the glide slope before the crew attempted to correct the trajectory by descending steeply. Without wheels on the ground, the crew could not deploy reverse thrust or spoilers, the speed brakes on the wing, limiting their ability to slow the aircraft.

The plane struck navigational aids and airport equipment before hitting a white Ford Econoline van belonging to an airline cleaning service company inside the airport perimeter, per the Washington Examiner. Seven people were inside the van. Outside the airport fence, the aircraft struck a Toyota Corolla Cross carrying three passengers, according to BBC News reporting.

NTSB investigators recovered the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder and sent them to agency headquarters for review, the Washington Examiner reports. The agency stated it has information about the aircraft's speed but will not release it until verified against flight recorder data. According to NTSB Chairwoman Homendy, investigators are examining Miami International Airport's lack of an engineered materials arresting system (EMAS), a mechanism using crushable material designed to slow and stop aircraft that overrun a runway. However, Homendy stated it was "too early to draw conclusions about what caused the crash" and "too early to determine whether such a system could have prevented the crash."

Per PBS NewsHour, the FAA does not require EMAS at the end of a runway if there is 1,000 feet of runway safety area, which Miami maintains in this case. There is approximately 1,000 feet between the runway end and the road, meeting FAA standards for a runway used by large aircraft. An EMAS system is designed to accept and slow aircraft approaching at about 80 miles per hour, per PBS; this aircraft was arriving at the end of the runway at about 130 miles per hour.

Aviation correspondent Miles O'Brien noted that by the time the aircraft was floating over the runway midway through it, "that would be the time to initiate what we call the go-around," suggesting the crew had opportunities to abort the landing before the incident became catastrophic. The NTSB expects to remain at the scene for at least a week but stated it will not determine the probable cause of the crash while investigators are in Miami. Amazon said it was "heartbroken" by the loss of life and was working closely with authorities, per BBC News. 21 Air stated it was cooperating with the investigation and expressed condolences. Two of the four runways at Miami remained closed following the crash, BBC reports.