NTSB Data Indicates Pilots Attempted Late Landing Abort in Fatal Miami Amazon Cargo Plane Runway Overrun

Federal investigators examining the fatal crash of an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane at Miami International Airport have determined that the flight crew appeared to initiate a late attempt to abort their landing moments after touching down on the runway. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that initial information retrieved from the recovered flight data recorder points to a critical sequence of throttle adjustments and braking actions during the final seconds of the ill-fated flight.

The disaster occurred on Sunday afternoon when a Boeing 767 cargo aircraft operated by 21 Air failed to stop on the landing strip, overshooting the paved runway surface by approximately 1,300 feet (396 meters). The runaway freighter plowed through the airport perimeter area and struck two vehicles on the ground, resulting in five fatalities and leaving five other individuals with injuries.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy outlined the preliminary flight data findings on Tuesday, detailing a timeline that reveals a complex and shifting situation in the cockpit during the touchdown sequence. The safety agency is working to establish why the crew chose to apply go-around thrust after wheels were already on the tarmac and why that maneuver was abruptly halted shortly afterward.

According to telemetry recorded by the onboard instruments, the aircraft first contacted the runway roughly 30 seconds before the recording ceased. During this initial impact, the airplane’s nose landing gear and right main landing gear touched down simultaneously at an indicated airspeed of 158 knots, or roughly 181 miles per hour.

The data indicates that the aircraft’s left main landing gear did not make contact with the runway until 11 seconds later, touching down 19 seconds before the end of the recording. At the moment the left gear settled onto the pavement, the aircraft’s speed had decreased to 134 knots, pointing to an uneven and staggered initial contact with the runway surface.

Shortly after the left landing gear made contact, the flight data reveals that the crew released the aircraft’s wheel brakes. At the same time, the engine throttles were pushed forward to power settings consistent with a go-around maneuver, signaling that the pilots were attempting to abandon the rollout, spool up the engines, and climb back into the air.

However, that effort to take off again was quickly abandoned. Just 11 seconds before the flight data recorder stopped logging information, the throttles were pulled back to idle power and the wheel brakes were heavily reapplied in a renewed bid to halt the heavy wide-body jet. By the time the recording concluded, the plane was still traveling across the ground at a velocity of 65 knots.

Adding to the questions surrounding the crew's braking efforts, safety officials noted an absence of key aerodynamic slowing mechanisms. The NTSB confirmed that the flight data contains no evidence showing that the Boeing 767's wing-mounted speed brakes or engine thrust reversers were ever deployed to assist in decelerating the aircraft during the landing rollout.

Federal investigators are preparing to gather firsthand accounts directly from the flight crew to better understand the decision-making inside the cockpit. Homendy confirmed that agency personnel will formally interview both pilots on Wednesday, after which authorities plan to make public key factual findings derived from the cockpit voice recorder.

The aircraft involved in the tragedy is a 32-year-old Boeing 767 wide-body freighter operated by Miami-based charter and cargo carrier 21 Air, which flies routes on behalf of Amazon Prime Air. The airframe was completing a demanding daily operational schedule when the accident occurred at approximately 1:53 p.m. EDT (1753 GMT).

Investigators noted that the flight marked the airplane’s third operational sector of the day. The aircraft had started its routing earlier on Sunday with a service from Cincinnati to Miami, followed by a round-trip segment that departed Miami for San Juan, Puerto Rico, before returning on the fatal inbound leg.

The flight crew consisted of two experienced aviators holding varying levels of familiarity with the aircraft type. The 55-year-old captain had accumulated 7,145 total flight hours across his career and earned his type rating to pilot the Boeing 767 in May. The 37-year-old first officer logged 2,655 hours of total flight time and obtained his 767 type rating in April 2025.

Homendy is on site supervising a specialized team of 32 NTSB investigators stationed at Miami International Airport. The multidisciplinary team is analyzing human performance, mechanical integrity, weather conditions, and runway infrastructure to assemble a complete picture of the factors contributing to the overrun.

The severe crash forced airport authorities to immediately shut down two active runways, creating significant operational disruptions across the major South Florida transit hub. The NTSB was able to clear and reopen one of the closed runways late Tuesday evening, allowing outbound flights to resume departures toward the east as the investigation continues.