Amazon Cargo Jet Pilots Appeared to Try Aborting Landing, N.T.S.B. Investigation Indicates

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Published: 2026-09-09T05:10:17.472Z • Permanent link

Pilots of an Amazon Cargo Jet lost control of the plane just seconds before it crashed off the runway in Miami, according to National Transportation Safety Board investigators. The incident, which occurred on January 20, was captured on video and has raised questions about the safety of cargo aviation. Investigators have identified the pilots as Captain John Smith, a 45-year-old veteran of Amazon Logistics, and First Officer Jane Doe, a 32-year-old pilot with 1,000 hours of experience. Amazon has confirmed that the incident occurred at Miami International Airport, where the plane was preparing to take off with a cargo of electronics and pharmaceuticals bound for the United Kingdom.

Details of the incident are still emerging, but investigators have pieced together a timeline of events that suggests the pilots may have attempted to abort the landing, but lost crucial seconds before the plane ran off the runway. According to the NTSB, the plane's airspeed indicator was reading 155 knots, just below the minimum speed required for a safe landing. The pilots' failure to notice this critical piece of information led to a loss of control, resulting in the plane crashing into the nearby taxiway. Amazon has apologized for the incident and pledged to investigate the cause of the crash.

The incident has sparked a wider debate about the safety of cargo aviation, with some experts calling for greater regulation and oversight of the industry. Amazon has committed to improving safety procedures and providing additional training for its pilots, but some critics argue that these measures are insufficient. The incident has also raised questions about the role of technology in aviation, with some experts arguing that advanced systems such as autopilot and collision avoidance systems could have prevented the crash.

Growing concerns about the safety of cargo aviation are having a significant impact on companies that rely on the industry, including ByteDance and TikTok. Both companies have cargo shipments transported by Amazon Logistics, and the incident has raised questions about the reliability and security of these shipments. ByteDance has confirmed that its cargo was not affected by the incident, but has expressed concern about the potential impact on the company's operations. TikTok has also confirmed that its cargo was not affected, but has pledged to review its shipping arrangements in light of the incident.

The incident has also had a broader impact on the research community, which has been studying the safety of cargo aviation for years. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have been tracking the safety record of cargo airlines, including Amazon, and have found that the industry has a higher rate of accidents than passenger airlines. The incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of current safety regulations and the need for greater investment in safety research.

The incident is part of a larger pattern of accidents and incidents in the cargo aviation industry. In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile accidents, including a 2019 incident in which a cargo plane crashed into a residential neighborhood in China, killing 12 people. The incident highlighted the risks of cargo aviation, particularly in urban areas. Competing approaches to safety regulation have also been debated, with some advocating for greater government oversight and others arguing for a more market-based approach.