Miami — Flight data indicates that an Amazon cargo aircraft attempted to abort an unstable landing approach before crashing into a van and killing five people at Miami International Airport, according to information released by investigators on Tuesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that Prime Air Flight 7598, which had departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, overran the runway approximately 1,300 feet (396 meters) after landing on Sunday. The plane subsequently smashed through a fence and struck both a shuttle van and an SUV on adjacent airport property.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said during an evening news conference that investigators are reviewing flight data and cockpit voice recordings to determine the precise sequence of events in the seconds before impact. She noted that the crew appeared to briefly attempt a go-around—a maneuver to abort the landing and try again—before abandoning the attempt and trying to stop the aircraft. However, data shows that thrust reversers were never deployed to assist in braking.
Homendy emphasized that investigators want to interview the pilot and co-pilot before releasing further details from the cockpit recorder. The interviews are scheduled for Wednesday.
Former FAA official Mike O’Donnell analyzed the flight path, noting that the aircraft landed on its nose and right landing gear first, which signals an unstable approach. He suggested the crew may have hesitated during the critical decision to initiate a go-around.
“A go-around probably should have been executed sooner than that. And it seems like they hesitated,” O’Donnell said. He added that by the time the crew attempted to abort, there may not have been sufficient runway remaining.
Aviation attorney Mary Schiavo, formerly the Inspector General for the Transportation Department, speculated that there may have been a disagreement between the pilots regarding their course of action. She also highlighted that storms were brewing around the Miami airport at the time, suggesting weather could have been a contributing factor.
The five individuals killed were all passengers in a van used to transport aircraft cleaning crews. Five other people were injured; two remain in critical condition and one is in stable condition, according to Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz. The pilot and co-pilot were treated at the hospital and have since been released.
The wreckage, including the mangled van, the nearly unrecognizable SUV, and the jet itself, remains at the crash site. The aircraft sat nose-down, bearing a large soot mark near the letter “P” in “Prime Air.”
If the thrust reversers weren’t deployed, that’s a huge red flag. Makes you wonder if they even had time to react properly.
Absolutely devastating. Five innocent workers killed, and it seems the crew hesitated on the go-around. Unforgivable.