Update: NTSB Releases New Details About Fatal Miami Airport Cargo Plane Crash

Federal investigators have released significant new information about the September 6 cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport, including the identities of the five people killed and preliminary flight data from the Boeing 767.

All five people who died were members of an aircraft cleaning crew traveling in a van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office identified the victims as Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.

Two other people in the van survived. The aircraft’s pilot and co-pilot also survived.

The National Transportation Safety Board has recovered the cockpit voice recorder and begun reviewing flight data as investigators attempt to determine why the aircraft overran the runway.

According to the NTSB’s investigator-in-charge, preliminary recorded data showed the aircraft had a ground speed of 65 knots at the final moment for which data was available. Investigators also said there was no indication in the recorded data that the aircraft’s speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed.

Those findings raise important questions, but they do not establish why the systems were not shown as deployed or who, if anyone, was responsible. The NTSB has emphasized that the investigation remains in its early stages and has not reached a conclusion about the cause of the crash.

Aircraft Traveled About 1,300 Feet Beyond the Runway

Investigators said the Boeing 767 traveled approximately 1,300 feet beyond the end of the runway.

The aircraft had arrived in Miami following a roughly two-hour flight from Puerto Rico while storms and strong winds were reported in the area.

Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft’s approach, touchdown point, braking and deceleration systems, weather conditions, wind direction, communications with air traffic control and the crew’s decision-making during the landing.

The NTSB plans to interview the 55-year-old pilot and 37-year-old co-pilot, as well as air traffic controllers.

Investigators will also examine the aircraft’s ownership history, maintenance records and operations by 21 Air, the North Carolina cargo carrier that operated the flight for Amazon’s Prime Air network.

Investigators Examining Runway Safety Systems

The investigation is also expected to examine runway overrun protections at Miami International Airport.

MIA does not have an Engineered Materials Arresting System, or EMAS, at the end of the runway involved in the crash. EMAS uses crushable material designed to help slow an aircraft that overruns a runway.

However, the absence of EMAS does not itself establish a safety violation or negligence.

Miami International Airport has stated that Runway 12/30 has the full 1,000-foot Runway Safety Area required by the Federal Aviation Administration and that EMAS is generally used where space limitations prevent an airport from providing the full safety area.

Airport officials said MIA undergoes annual FAA safety inspections and has consistently complied with federal airfield safety requirements.

Whether additional runway protection could have changed the outcome will be a matter for investigators and aviation safety experts to evaluate.

Fatalities Were Members of Aircraft Cleaning Crew

The identification of the victims also provides a clearer picture of who was harmed on the ground.

The five people killed were traveling in a Professional Ocean Service Corp. van on airport property when the Boeing 767 struck it during the runway excursion.

This new information could significantly affect the civil investigation because the victims were not passengers or crew members aboard the aircraft. They were workers on the ground who were struck while traveling in a company vehicle.

Potential legal issues may therefore involve not only aviation law and Florida’s Wrongful Death Act, but also workers’ compensation, employer-related benefits, applicable insurance coverage and potential third-party wrongful death claims.

The precise legal options available to each family will depend on the victims’ employment relationships, insurance coverage and what the federal investigation ultimately determines caused the aircraft to overrun the runway.

No Conclusions Yet About What Caused the Crash

The preliminary finding concerning the speed brakes and thrust reversers is significant, but it should not be interpreted as a determination that pilot error caused the crash.

Investigators still need to determine why the recorded data did not indicate deployment.

Possible areas of investigation include aircraft systems, crew actions, landing performance, maintenance, weather, runway conditions and other operational factors.

The NTSB’s examination of the cockpit voice recorder, flight data, aircraft wreckage, maintenance history and interviews with the pilots and air traffic controllers should provide substantially more information about the sequence of events.

Until that investigation progresses, responsibility for the crash remains undetermined.

We extend our condolences to the families, friends and coworkers of Rolando Aleman Leon, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, Julio C. Pineda, Carlos Acosta Fajardo and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo as investigators continue working to determine what caused this devastating crash.