21 Air Flight 7598
2026 aviation accident in Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
21 Air Flight 7598 was a scheduled domestic cargo flight operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico to Miami International Airport in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. On September 6, 2026, the Boeing 767 freighter overran the runway while landing in Miami, striking multiple vehicles in the process. Five people were killed, while five others, including both pilots, sustained injuries.
An aerial view of the crash site | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 6, 2026 |
| Summary | Runway overrun, under investigation |
| Site | |
 | |
| Total fatalities | 5 |
| Total injuries | 5 |
| Aircraft | |
 N1997A, the aircraft involved in the accident, pictured in March 2026 | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 767-33AER(BDSF)[a] |
| Aircraft name | Amazon One |
| Operator | 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air |
| IATA flight No. | 2I7598 |
| ICAO flight No. | CSB7598 |
| Call sign | CARGO SOUTH 7598 |
| Registration | N1997A[1] |
| Flight origin | Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, Carolina, Puerto Rico |
| Destination | Miami International Airport, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States |
| Occupants | 2 |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 2 |
| Survivors | 2 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 5 |
| Ground injuries | 3 |
The crash was the third and deadliest major accident involving a Boeing 767 aircraft flying for Amazon. It subsequently raised questions about the safety standards at 21 Air.[2]
Background
The aircraft involved was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-33AER(BDSF),[a] registered N1997A, operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air, and powered by two General Electric CF6-80C2B6F engines. The aircraft was originally ordered by aircraft lessor AWAS and was first delivered to Belgian carrier Sobelair in 1994. It was converted to a freighter in 2016 by Israel Aerospace Industries under its "Bedek Special Freighter" (BDSF) program.[3] The airframe was written off following the accident.[4]
21 Air began operating cargo flights for Amazon Air in late 2024.[5]
The 55-year-old captain, Joseph Carroll, received his type rating in the 767 in May 2026 and previously flew as a US military helicopter pilot. First officer Jaime Felipe Silva Molina received his type rating in April 2025.[6]
Accident
On September 6, 2026, 21 Air Flight 7598 departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and arrived at Miami International Airport.[7] The aircraft overran runway 30 while landing around 1:53 p.m. The plane first struck a Ford Econoline van carrying seven passengers working for an airline cleaning company. It then crashed through a fence and was crossing Northwest 67th Avenue when it struck a Toyota Corolla Cross SUV.[8][9][10] A minor fire broke out as a result of the crash, which was soon extinguished. Part of the plane’s right wing was burned off and its fuselage was damaged by the fire. The last moments of the overrun and the plane coming to rest were captured on video. Five people were killed, and five others were injured, three of them critically.[11][12] All five fatalities were occupants of the Ford Econoline and employees of Professional Ocean Service Corporation, an airline cleaning contractor.[10][13]
Based on flight data recovered by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a timeline of the accident sequence has been released. At 30 seconds before the end of the recording, the nosewheel and right main landing gear touched down at a ground speed of 158 knots (182 mph; 293 km/h). At T-23 seconds, brakes were applied at a speed of 146 knots (168 mph; 270 km/h). At T-19, left main landing gear touched down at 134 knots (154 mph; 248 km/h). At T-15, brakes were released and engine throttles were increased to go-around thrust at a speed of 120 knots (138 mph; 222 km/h). At T-11, throttles were reduced to idle and brakes were reapplied at a speed of 117 knots (135 mph; 217 km/h). At T-0, the data recording ended at a speed of 65 knots (75 mph; 120 km/h). The NTSB notes that neither speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed.[6]
A summary of the cockpit voice recorder released by the NTSB indicated that one of the pilots cautioned that they were too fast. While the pilot made additional comments regarding the aircraft's excessive speed throughout the recording, there were no consistent acknowledgements from the other pilot. A pilot also called for a go around shortly before the end of the recording.[14]
Weather conditions at the time were described as "light thunderstorms and gusting winds".[15]
The NTSB later confirmed that the aircraft came to a stop approximately 1,300 feet (400 m) past the paved surface of the runway in a fenced parking lot.[16][17] Investigators described the scene as "utter devastation".[18]
Aftermath
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop in response to the crash.[19] It was reported that some people were trapped in their vehicles.[20] The ground stop was rescinded at 5:00 p.m. as the airport partially reopened, with a ground delay program remaining in effect.[21] According to website FlightAware, more than 160 flights were canceled and nearly 325 others delayed as a result of the crash. Some flights were subsequently diverted to Orlando International Airport, more than 200 miles (320 km) north of Miami.[12]
Lawsuit
On September 9, 2026, Morgan & Morgan filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade court against Amazon.com Inc., 21 Air LLC, and others, alleging criminal negligence that resulted in the death of Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, one of those killed aboard the van. The legal action alleges that the use of a 32-year-old aircraft, pilot error, and insufficient training contributed to the accident.[22][23][24]
Responses
An NTSB investigation was opened on September 6, with media briefings released on September 7 and 8.[25] Amazon, 21 Air, and Boeing expressed condolences and their readiness to cooperate with investigations.[11]
On September 14, an Amazon spokesperson said that the company had decided to pause its operations with 21 Air.[2][26][27]
See also
- 2026 in aviation
- List of accidents and incidents involving airliners in the United States § Florida
- American Airlines Flight 625, a passenger flight that overran the runway after an attempted go-around at St. Thomas Airport
- Sky Lease Cargo Flight 4854, a cargo flight that overran the runway at Halifax due to excessive speeds
- Fine Air Flight 101, a cargo flight that crashed into a parking lot after takeoff from Miami International
Notes
- The aircraft was a Boeing 767-300ER, with "ER" denoting the Extended Range variant. The BDSF suffix denotes "Bedek Special Freighter", a passenger-to-freighter conversion program by Israel Aerospace Industries. Boeing assigns each customer a unique code incorporated into the model designation at manufacture; thus, "767-33AER" denotes a 767-300ER built for AWAS, whose customer code is 3A.
