Full Breakdown
Runaway Tragedy at Miami International Airport
9/10/2026, 3:38:58 AM
Core Event
On September 6, 2026, a Boeing 767-300 cargo jet operated by 21 Air for Amazon Prime Air (flight 7598) overran runway 30 at Miami International Airport. After touchdown the aircraft travelled about 1,300 ft beyond the paved surface, striking a 2012 white Ford Econoline van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp. and a Toyota Corolla Cross SUV on Northwest 67th Avenue. Five occupants of the van were killed; five people—including the pilots, Joseph Carol and Jaime Felipe Silva Molina—were injured and later released.
Background & Context
Amazon contracts 21 Air, a North Carolina cargo carrier, to operate larger freighters. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was converted to cargo in 2015. Miami International lacks an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS); the FAA considers the airport compliant because it provides a 1,000-foot safety buffer beyond the runway.
Timeline
- ? 1:53 p.m. ET – Flight 7598 lands on runway 30 from San Juan.
- Seconds after touchdown – Brakes applied; throttles increase to go-around thrust; speed brakes and thrust reversers are not deployed.
- ? 1:55 p.m. – Aircraft overruns runway, strikes van and SUV, and stops on adjacent grass.
- September 7 – NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy holds a press conference, describing the scene as “utter devastation.”
- September 9 (scheduled) – NTSB to interview the pilots and release further cockpit-voice-recorder details.
Data & Statistics
- Pilots’ experience: Carol 7,145 hours; Silva Molina 2,655 hours.
- Cargo: ~32,000 lb, primarily contact lenses; no hazardous materials.
- Casualties: Five fatalities (Rolando Aleman Leon 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo 53; Julio C. Pineda 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo 53; Javierkys Reyes Quevedo 47). Five injured, including the two pilots; three victims remain hospitalized.
- Overrun distance: About 1,300 ft (396 m) beyond the runway.
Official Statements & Responses
- NTSB (Homendy): The jet and “the Econoline van is torn apart.”
- Amazon: Expressed “deepest sympathies” and pledged full cooperation with the NTSB and FAA.
- Professional Ocean Service Corp.: “Our employees are far more than the people who work beside us each day, they are family, and they are deeply loved.”
- FAA: Confirmed the overrun and noted the absence of hazardous cargo.
- Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz: Called the incident “incredibly tragic” and urged privacy for the families.
Criticism & Opposition
- Attorney Pablo Rojas warned that “that kind of hesitation is deadly in a runway like this.”
- Former FAA official Mike O’Donnell argued a go-around “should have been executed sooner” and suggested the lack of an EMAS may have contributed to the severity.
On-the-Ground Reports
Sheriff Cordero-Stutz said the van carried seven cleaning-crew members; five died and two survived with injuries. SUV driver Eugenio Corredor 79 was critically injured. Fire-rescue chief Ray Jadallah described the scene as “very complex,” noting crews had to extricate a person trapped under a vehicle and mitigate a fuel leak.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The exact number of occupants in the SUV has not been disclosed, and investigators have not yet determined why speed brakes and thrust reversers were not used. The NTSB has not released the cockpit-voice-recorder transcript, leaving the pilots’ decision-making process unconfirmed.
What’s Next
The NTSB will interview the pilots on September 9 and later release a readout of the cockpit-voice recorder. Investigators will continue analyzing flight-data parameters, weather conditions, and the aircraft’s maintenance history to determine the probable cause and issue safety recommendations.
