Amazon Cargo Plane Crash at Miami Airport: Pilots Warned of Speed Issues

The investigation into the Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport on September 6 has revealed new details about the pilots' communication before and after the fatal incident. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), one of the pilots repeatedly warned the other that the aircraft was 'too fast' during the final approach, but the receiving pilot never gave a consistent verbal response. This warning continued for nearly two minutes as the plane made an unstable approach in strong winds.

The cockpit voice recorder also captured automated warnings, including repeated 'sink rate' and 'too low terrain' alerts, as the aircraft descended toward the runway. The flight data recorder shows that the plane touched down nearly 5,000 feet into Runway 30, leaving it with less than half the remaining runway to stop.

After attempting a go-around, the pilots resumed braking, but the Boeing 767 then barreled about 1,300 feet beyond the end of the runway and struck a van, killing five people inside. The five victims were part of a crew that cleaned planes at the airport, according to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.

The pilots, who were injured in the crash, were treated and released before speaking with investigators on Wednesday. The full transcript of the cockpit conversation has not yet been released as the investigation continues.