Miami cargo plane cockpit warnings reported
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The gist
NTSB says a pilot of a Miami Amazon cargo plane warned 'too fast' before Sunday's crash that killed five.
The cockpit warnings raise questions about why the crew didn't abort the landing.
Background
An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 operated by Miami-based 21 Air overran Runway 30 at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon and crashed into vehicles on the ground, killing five people and injuring five others. The NTSB released cockpit voice and flight data recorder information on Wednesday showing one pilot repeatedly warned the aircraft was going too fast, with automated 'sink rate' and 'too low terrain' alerts sounding before touchdown. The crash has drawn scrutiny to the airline's safety record and prompted the first wrongful death lawsuit.
How it unfolded
- Sep 6, 2026An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 operated by 21 Air overran Runway 30 at Miami International Airport, crashed into two vehicles and burst into flames, killing five people and injuring five others.
- Sep 8, 2026Miami authorities identified the five dead as members of a plane-cleaning crew in a van: Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.
- Sep 9, 2026The NTSB released cockpit voice recorder transcripts showing one pilot repeatedly warned the aircraft was 'too fast' and automated 'sink rate' and 'too low terrain' warnings sounded before touchdown.
- Sep 10, 2026The NTSB's investigative update detailed that the plane touched down at 158 knots, overran the runway by about 1,300 feet, and that pilots briefly tried to take off again before abandoning the maneuver; the widow of a victim filed the first wrongful death lawsuit.
Who’s saying what
- Expert
- Aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said the key question is why the crew continued an unstable approach instead of going around.
- Expert
- Former pilot Steve Arroyo said the details suggest a lack of cockpit teamwork and that the pilot at the controls may have been too focused on landing to acknowledge the speed warnings.
- Caution
- Former pilots and senior staff have accused the airline of ignoring safety warnings for years, according to legal records and interviews reviewed by CBS News; the NTSB has not determined a cause and it is not known whether past complaints are connected to the crash.
Still unverified
The NTSB has not identified which pilot made the warnings or which pilot received them, and has not determined a cause. It is not known whether past safety complaints against the airline are connected to the crash. The wrongful death lawsuit's allegations of pilot errors and other failures are unproven claims.