Miami (Rajeev Sharma): Amazon has temporarily stopped using cargo carrier 21 Air following last week’s fatal runway accident in Miami involving a Boeing 767 carrying packages for the e-commerce giant.
The decision came after the aircraft overshot the runway on September 6 and travelled about 1,300 feet (396 metres) beyond its end before striking a van operated by an aircraft-cleaning company. Five people inside the vehicle were killed, while five others suffered injuries.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company had been assisting authorities with the investigation and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the accident before deciding to suspend its operations with 21 Air.
The North Carolina-based cargo operator has transported Amazon shipments since 2024. The company had not immediately commented on Amazon’s decision.
Investigation focuses on landing
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is examining several aspects of the crash, including the aircraft’s ownership history, maintenance records, weather conditions at Miami airport and the operations of 21 Air.
Information released by the NTSB on September 9 provided an initial glimpse into what happened during the aircraft’s approach.
One of the pilots reportedly warned the other that the aircraft was travelling too quickly as it approached the runway and again after touchdown.
Recordings from the cockpit also contained multiple automated alerts concerning the aircraft’s rate of descent and terrain. Investigators have not yet released the complete transcript of the pilots’ conversation, which is expected to become available at a later stage of the inquiry.
An aircraft with a long history
The Boeing 767 involved in the accident was 32 years old. It was originally manufactured as a passenger aircraft and spent more than two decades operating for airlines in other countries before being converted for cargo service in 2015, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
The age and conversion history of the aircraft are among the details investigators are expected to consider as they work to establish the circumstances that led to the accident.
For Amazon, the suspension represents an immediate change to its air-cargo network following one of the deadliest incidents involving a carrier transporting its packages.
The company said it would continue cooperating with investigators and supporting those affected by the crash as authorities work to determine what caused the aircraft to leave the runway.
