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A devastating cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport on Labor Day left five people dead and five others injured after a Boeing 767-300 operated for Amazon overshot the runway and slammed into vehicles on a nearby public road. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a full investigation, with a 32-member team on site for at least the next week.
The aircraft, weighing more than 100 tons, was on its third flight of the day when it attempted to land on Runway 30 at around 2 p.m. ET Sunday. Tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the plane passed well above the normal glide path before dropping back into position, suggesting an unstable approach. As it touched down, a sudden tailwind likely made it harder to decelerate, according to CNN safety analyst David Soucie, a former FAA safety inspector.
“You’re picking up speed instead of bleeding speed off at that point,” Soucie explained.
The jet’s left rear gear bounced along the pavement, and the aircraft never slowed enough to stop before the runway ended. Still traveling at 130 mph, it tore through a grassy strip, a chain-link fence topped with razor wire, and concrete barriers before crossing Northwest 36th Street, a four-lane road just outside the secure perimeter.
On the road, the plane struck a 2012 Ford van carrying seven people and a Toyota SUV. All five fatalities were inside those vehicles, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed during a Monday press conference. The conditions of the two pilots, who were rescued from the cockpit, remain unclear.
“The recovery of victims is most important,” Homendy said, adding that recovery operations are ongoing.
The plane came to a fiery halt approximately 1,300 feet past the paved surface, near a parking lot where Tesla robotaxis were stationed. Firefighters responded within minutes, with one first responder heard on radio saying, “Plane’s on fire! Put your game faces on.” Over 60 fire rescue units and some 200 personnel were deployed to extinguish the flames and search for survivors.
The NTSB has recovered the aircraft’s black box, which should contain cockpit audio and flight data, assuming no erasure occurred. Homendy stated that investigators will not determine a probable cause at the scene but are deeply committed to preventing a recurrence.
“Know that we are deeply, deeply committed to our duty, our responsibilities as an investigative agency to determine how this accident occurred, why it happened, with one goal in mind: safety,” she said. The NTSB will hold another news conference Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
The crash has raised urgent questions about airport safety and whether MIA needs better engineered arresting systems or longer runway safety areas to prevent aircraft from leaving airport property. The airport operated with only two of its four runways on the busy holiday, causing delays and cancellations.
Spencer Deno, mayor of the Village of Virginia Gardens, the closest municipality to the crash scene, told CNN he felt his house shake from the impact. “Within a minute, I began hearing sirens,” he said. “When I turned onto 36th Street, I immediately saw officers responding from multiple directions. As soon as I reached Perimeter Road, I saw the tail section of the aircraft.”
Francisco Diaz, a Boeing 747 captain and president of the Captains Council, a Miami-based pilots’ organization, was leading a class at the Boeing training center when the crash occurred. “He was shaking because he was almost hit by the airplane when the airplane came out of the airport into the street,” Diaz said of a fellow instructor.
Social media video shows the plane landing almost parallel to the ground, lacking the standard “flare” maneuver where the nose lifts to let the rear gear touch first. Diaz noted that “from the videos that we have seen, it looks like an unstable approach,” with multiple factors the NTSB will need to investigate.
The aircraft had passed through a developing thunderstorm on approach, one of several pop-up storms in the area. The direction of the wind changed suddenly, giving the plane a tailwind that may have worsened its speed control. Despite the challenges, the pilots did not declare an emergency or inform air traffic controllers of any problems before landing, according to air traffic control audio.
As the jet came to rest near the parking lot, fire erupted around its crumpled starboard engine. Thick black smoke rose as rescue crews rushed in with fire retardant. The crash left a trail of debris including airbags, aircraft parts, vehicle fragments, and destroyed fencing hurled across the area.
The NTSB’s investigation will examine the pilots’ actions, weather conditions, aircraft maintenance, and runway infrastructure. The agency’s team will be on site for at least a week, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days.
Homendy emphasized that the NTSB’s mission is to find out what went wrong to prevent future tragedies. “That’s the only goal,” she said.
As of today, September 3, 2025, the airport has resumed normal operations, but the community remains in mourning. The five victims have not yet been publicly identified, pending family notifications. The injured are being treated at local hospitals, with some in critical condition.
This incident marks one of the deadliest aviation accidents involving a cargo plane in recent U.S. history. The NTSB’s findings could lead to stricter safety requirements for airports near high-traffic roads, especially in densely populated areas like Miami.
