A serious air accident occurred on Sunday, September 6, at Miami International Airport, Florida. A Boeing 767-300 cargo plane operating a flight for Amazon Prime Air ran off the runway during landing, then crossed airport boundaries and struck several vehicles. The aircraft then caught fire, producing a massive plume of black smoke visible for several kilometers.
In the evening, an initial report indicated several victims were being treated by emergency services. Reports of multiple deaths began circulating, but the number of fatalities had not yet been officially confirmed by U.S. authorities as of 11 p.m. French time. The circumstances recall other cargo plane air accidents, including the spectacular crash of a Boeing 747 that occurred in Hong Kong in October 2025.
The Boeing 767 had just arrived from Puerto Rico
The crashed aircraft was operating Prime Air flight 7598. It was a Boeing 767-300 cargo plane operated by the American company 21 Air on behalf of Amazon.
The flight had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, bound for Miami. Around 2 p.m. local time, or 8 p.m. in France, the plane landed in Miami but failed to stop on the airport’s diagonal runway.
The Boeing continued beyond the runway’s end. It crossed a road near the airport perimeter and struck several vehicles.
The plane catches fire, over 60 emergency units deployed
Footage taken immediately after the accident shows the Boeing stopped off the runway, while a thick cloud of black smoke rises above the area. The aircraft remained largely intact despite the fire that broke out after the impact.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue deployed more than 60 emergency units. Firefighters reported arriving to find a burning plane with significant flames and smoke, and noted « several patients » being treated.
The presence of victims on the ground is one of the main points to clarify. Since the Boeing crossed a road and hit several vehicles, some of those treated may not have been on board the aircraft.
A few hours after the crash, reports indicated multiple deaths. At this stage, local and federal authorities had not yet publicly released a definitive toll specifying the number of dead and injured.
Miami International Airport paralyzed
The accident immediately caused significant impacts on air traffic. All runways and taxiways at the airport were closed and a « ground stop, » temporarily prohibiting departures and arrivals, was declared.
Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled. U.S. authorities asked travelers passing through Miami to expect major disruptions during rescue and security operations.
This accident occurs while several deadly air crashes have been recorded in recent months, including one that claimed eight lives in Alaska in August.
An investigation opened into the runway excursion
The causes of the accident are not yet established. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the circumstances under which the Boeing 767 exceeded the runway end after landing. The National Transportation Safety Board is also gathering initial information on the crash.
Flight data shows the aircraft came from San Juan and was making a normal approach before the runway excursion. It will be necessary to determine why the plane could not stop, and to establish weather conditions, runway status, and the functioning of braking systems and the aircraft at the time of the accident.
Amazon confirmed the plane was indeed operating a mission for its air freight activity and was operated by 21 Air. The group stated it is working with authorities to determine precisely what happened and assured that its priority is « the safety, well-being, and care of all involved persons ».
American aviation had already been struck by an accident involving a cargo plane operated for Amazon in February 2019: an Atlas Air Boeing 767 crashed into a bay near Houston, killing all three crew members.
The Miami crash toll remains likely to evolve rapidly in the coming hours, especially regarding the number of victims on board the aircraft and in the vehicles struck on the ground.
