Amazon Suspends Flights with Cargo Partner 21 Air After Deadly Miami Crash

Amazon has halted its aviation partnership with cargo carrier 21 Air after an Amazon-branded freighter overran a runway and crashed in Miami earlier this month, resulting in five deaths and five injuries.

The e-commerce giant notified 21 Air management of its decision to pause operations as federal investigators continue reviewing the cause of the disaster.

Amazon announced on Sunday that it is stepping back from its arrangement with 21 Air, a Miami-based cargo firm that flies eight aircraft for the retail titan.

Spokesperson Kelly Nantel explained the company's decision in a statement to Reuters:

"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.”

In response, 21 Air reiterated its commitment to assisting authorities and the affected families. "Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives," 21 Air chief executive Keith Winters previously said.

"Our immediate priorities are supporting those affected, assisting the appropriate authorities, and ensuring that accurate and verified information is communicated as it becomes available," he added.

A company spokesman added:

"We remain focused on supporting the families and loved ones who were impacted by this accident, as well as working closely with the NTSB and all our partners, like Amazon, as the investigation continues. We are confident in our safety policies, procedures and training," 21 Air said in a statement to Reuters.

The accident occurred on September 6th when Flight 7598, arriving from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, failed to stop on the runway at Miami International Airport.

The Boeing 767-300 cargo plane crossed past the end of the landing strip, colliding with several vehicles on the ground and skidding 1,300 feet beyond the runway with its right engine catching fire. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy described the crash location as a scene of "utter devastation".

Local authorities identified the five victims killed in the crash as Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.

NTSB investigators recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, uncovering critical telemetry and audio evidence from the moments leading up to impact:

• Flight data indicates one pilot repeatedly cautioned the other about "the aircraft's excessive speed" just over a minute before landing.
• Investigators observed "there was not a consistent verbal response" from the receiving pilot, despite an sounding altitude alarm.
• Flight recorder data reveals the crew initially considered aborting the landing or redoing their approach after touchdown before attempting to apply brakes and bring the jet to a halt.

21 Air, owned by logistics businessman and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, operates a total fleet of roughly 17 aircraft for clients including Amazon and DHL Express. The NTSB's active inquiry is currently examining 21 Air's safety standards, flight crew actions, and its operational agreement with Amazon.