Amazon's Cargo Plane Crash Raises Questions About Liability

A cargo plane carrying Amazon packages crashed at Miami International Airport, killing five employees of an aircraft cleaning company. The Boeing 767 overran the runway and cut through a road just outside the airfield perimeter before coming to rest. Federal regulators will likely examine who had 'operational control' of the aircraft.

The plane was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier that flies eight aircraft for Amazon. The company has outsourced much of its logistics operation to independent companies, including 21 Air and thousands of mom-and-pop delivery vans with Amazon logos.

A widow of one of the van drivers has already filed a wrongful death suit against Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Air Cargo, and several other defendants, alleging negligence. The lawsuit names 11 parties in total, including 21 Air and Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc.