Federal Investigators Report Pilots in Fatal Miami Cargo Crash Attempted Late Go-Around After Touchdown

Federal safety investigators disclosed that the flight crew of a fatal Amazon Prime Air cargo flight appeared to evaluate and initiate an aborted landing sequence moments after the jet had already made contact with the runway at Miami International Airport. The initial findings point to a series of rapid throttle and braking inputs during the final seconds before the aircraft breached the runway perimeter.

The tragedy unfolded on Sunday when the twin-engine Boeing 767 freighter overshot the designated landing strip by approximately 1,300 feet (396 meters). The runaway aircraft slammed into two vehicles located beyond the tarmac boundaries, resulting in five fatalities and inflicting injuries on five other individuals on the ground.

According to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, preliminary readings from the recovered flight data recorder offer a detailed, second-by-second timeline of the flight crew’s control inputs and the aircraft's mechanical response during the ill-fated landing roll. Homendy is currently spearheading an on-site team composed of 32 federal investigators deployed in South Florida to determine the underlying causes of the runway excursion.

The NTSB plans to deepen its inquiry by conducting formal interviews with both flight crew members on Wednesday. Following those sessions, safety officials intend to publicize information transcribed and analyzed from the cockpit voice recorder, which is expected to clarify the verbal interactions and decisions leading up to the crash.

Telemetry captured by the onboard recorder revealed an abnormal initial touchdown. Exactly 30 seconds prior to the termination of data recording, the aircraft's nose landing gear and right main gear made initial contact with the runway surface while traveling at a velocity of 158 knots, or roughly 181 miles per hour.

The aircraft continued down the runway in an uneven posture for several seconds before the left main landing gear finally touched down. This occurred 19 seconds before the data feed cut off, at which point the widebody jet’s ground speed had decelerated to 134 knots.

Shortly following the completion of full gear contact, the recorded flight parameters demonstrated a sudden change in operational intent. The pilots released the mechanical wheel brakes and advanced the engine throttles forward to power settings consistent with executing a go-around maneuver, signaling an eleventh-hour bid to abort the rollout and climb back into the sky.

However, the attempt to regain flight was quickly abandoned. Just 11 seconds before the recording ceased, the throttles were abruptly pulled back down to idle thrust, and the crew once again engaged the wheel braking system in an effort to halt the forward momentum of the aircraft.

By the time the flight recorder captured its final entries, the cargo plane was continuing across the ground at a speed of 65 knots. The aircraft subsequently departed the paved runway surface and collided with the ground vehicles located in its path.

Crucially, safety investigators noted a conspicuous absence of standard aerodynamic stopping assists during the landing roll. The flight data recorder contained no record or indication that the pilots deployed the aircraft’s speed brakes or engaged the engine thrust reversers, two critical systems normally utilized to rapidly decelerate heavy airliners after touchdown.

The aftermath of the collision severely disrupted flight traffic at Miami International Airport, requiring the temporary closure of multiple landing strips. Homendy confirmed that by late Tuesday, safety personnel were able to clear and reopen one of the two affected runways, restoring departure operations toward the east.

The aircraft involved in the incident was a 32-year-old Boeing 767 airframe operated under contract for Amazon Prime Air by Miami-headquartered cargo carrier 21 Air. The fatal Sunday landing represented the jet’s third scheduled leg of a multi-city operating schedule.

Earlier in the day, the cargo jet had completed a flight from Cincinnati to Miami before undertaking a round-trip rotation from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was returning to South Florida on the inbound flight from San Juan when it attempted to land at 1:53 p.m. EDT (1753 GMT).

Federal records reviewed by investigators indicate that the 55-year-old captain had accumulated 7,145 total hours of flight time throughout his aviation career. Records show he secured his specific aircraft type rating to command the Boeing 767 relatively recently, in May.

The first officer, aged 37, possessed a career total of 2,655 flight hours. According to the NTSB's preliminary background review, the copilot obtained his Boeing 767 type rating in April 2025.

As the 32-member NTSB investigative delegation continues its field examination, the integration of cockpit audio recordings with the flight telemetry is expected to provide essential context regarding why thrust reversers were not deployed and why the crew attempted an aborted landing only after placing the aircraft onto the runway.