Black box recovered from Amazon Boeing 767 after 1,300ft Miami runway overrun

Investigators have recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 that overran a Miami runway on Sunday.

Data from the aircraft’s black boxes is expected to provide crucial insights into why the cargo jet travelled around 1,300ft beyond the end of the runway. A key focus of the investigation will be determining exactly where the plane landed and whether it was beyond the normal touchdown zone. 

It had flown from Cincinnati to Miami and then to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday. It was returning to Miami when it overran the runway around 2pm (7pm UK time). 

Five people are known to have died in the incident while officials said five other people were injured. Three were taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Black boxes recovered from Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed on Monday that the aircraft – a 32 year old Boeing 767-300 – overshot the runway and hit two vehicles.

Speaking to the media, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy described the scene of the crash as “utter devastation.”

She said the cargo plane, operating as 21 Air Flight 7598 on behalf of Amazon Prime Air, overran the runway, striking “navigational aids and equipment.”

NTSB reveals new details about Miami Boeing 767 runway overrun

The aircraft is reported to have collided with a Ford van carrying seven people from a cleaning company. It then broke through a perimeter fence, striking a Toyota SUV outside the airport. It’s not clear how many people were inside the vehicle.

Photographs from the scene showed the aircraft badly damaged, with its nose on the ground and tail raised.  

The two people onboard the plane – the pilot and co-pilot – both survived. As of yesterday, they were still due to be interviewed.

More details are expected to be released by the NTSB later today (9 September). Homendy said this could include details on the speed of the plane which will be confirmed by the flight data recorder.

NTSB and FAA investigate Amazon cargo jet crash

The NTSB will speak to the pilot and co-pilot of the cargo plane as part of their efforts to establish what happened. Officials are also likely to assess runway conditions and review air traffic control communications. The black boxes are on their way to the NTSB’s laboratory in Washington DC according to Flight Radar.

The FAA is investigating alongside the NTSB. 

NTSB investigators examine the wreckage field Monday after a Boeing 767 cargo plane operating as 21 Air LLC Flight 7598 overran the end of Runway 30 while landing Sunday at Miami International Airport (MIA). pic.twitter.com/MV7vRu8kuC

— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 7, 2026

The airport initially halted flights after the crash as emergency crews worked at the scene. Operations began recovering later on Sunday, with two of Miami International’s four runways reopening.

The disruption came during the Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest periods for US air travel. Miami is also a major freight gateway, one of the busiest US airports for international freight.

Kelly Nantel, a spokesperson for Amazon said, “This is a fast-moving situation and we’re still gathering details. We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened.”