Amazon suspends cargo carrier 21 Air following fatal Miami runway crash

Amazon announced on Sunday, 13 September 2026, that it has temporarily suspended its partnership with cargo carrier 21 Air following a fatal crash at Miami International Airport involving a Prime Air cargo jet loaded with Amazon packages. The disaster occurred on Sept. 6, 2026, when a Boeing 767 operated as Prime Air Flight 7598 came in at a high speed, careened off the runway, barreled roughly 1,300 feet (396 meters) past the pavement end, and smashed into multiple vehicles before catching fire. The aircraft struck a van carrying workers employed by a plane cleaning company. All five fatalities were occupants of the cleaning van, while another five individuals were injured, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Both pilots survived the wreck with minor injuries.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel confirmed the immediate operational pause in a prepared statement.

"After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598,"

Media additions

Kelly Nantel, Amazon spokesperson, via NBC News and AP

Nantel added that the company will continue working to support the investigation and everyone affected. To fill the service gaps left by the suspension of the North Carolina-based carrier, Amazon stated it is working with other shipping companies, including Sun Country Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Transport International, ABX Air, ASL Airlines, and Cargojet.

Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary flight information on Sept. 9 revealing that one of the pilots warned his counterpart about excessive speed during the approach for landing and after touchdown. Cockpit audio recordings similarly captured a series of automated warnings alerting the flight deck to descent velocity and approaching terrain. The full transcript of the cockpit conversation is not scheduled for release until later in the investigation. Flight-tracking data compiled by Flightradar24 indicates that the involved Boeing jet was 32 years old, having spent more than two decades flying passenger routes internationally for several foreign airlines before undergoing a freighter conversion in 2015.

The suspension brings broader scrutiny to 21 Air, a carrier controlled through an LLC by Houston Astros owner Jim Crane. Following the crash, former employees came forward detailing longstanding safety concerns. Former employee and pilot Karl Seuring, who filed a legal complaint against the company, told CBS News, Unfortunately, 21 Air has a long-established history of safety problems. Retired 21 Air pilot Tony Bless also told the outlet that the tragedy came as no surprise to many former staff members, citing persistent worries regarding maintenance issues, the quality of pilots hired by the company, and pressure from managers. It’s something a lot of us ex-21 Air pilots have been anticipating for a while, Bless said. Meanwhile, 21 Air’s CEO stated that he was devastated by the crash and offered condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. The carrier did not respond for comment by the time of publication.

The NTSB investigation remains ongoing. Investigators are slated to examine the jet's ownership history, weather conditions at the airport, maintenance records, and overall operations by 21 Air as the inquiry continues to move forward.