Federal investigators said Tuesday that crucial braking mechanisms appear not to have activated when an Amazon cargo plane ran off the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, slammed into two vehicles and left five people dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board said preliminary information shows the jet’s wheel brakes were used, but data reviewed so far does not show the aircraft’s speed brakes or thrust reversers engaging during the landing sequence.
Chihoon Shin, the NTSB investigator leading the inquiry, said there was “no indication in the recorded data that speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed.”
Shin noted that investigators still intend to speak with the flight crew and emphasized that the agency is not ready to draw conclusions about what actions should have occurred as the aircraft touched down.
“When we analyze the full list of parameters, we’ll have a better idea of the aircraft’s performance during this landing. Was it normal? Was it not? And what was working and what was not. So I’m not going to speculate on what should have been right now,” he said.
He added that investigators need the pilots’ firsthand account, including how they handled the controls in the moments before the Miami runway overrun, to build a clearer picture of the crash.
“That’s something that we need a complete understanding of.”
Officials have not publicly named the pilots. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the captain was 55 and had logged 7,145 flight hours, based on his most recent Class 1 medical certificate dated March 31, 2026.
The first officer was 37 years old and had 2,655 flight hours, according to his Class 1 medical certificate dated April 13, 2026, she said.
Officials confirmed that no hazardous materials were on board and said most of the cargo consisted of contact lenses.
“They did confirm there was no hazmat on board. The cargo was mainly made up of contact lenses, again weighing 32,222 pounds. And then, of course, a flight kit,” she said.
At least five people were killed and another five were injured in Sunday’s fiery crash involving Prime Air Flight 7598.
Seven of the victims were in a van that was crushed on airport property.
The plane then traveled through the airport fence and struck another civilian vehicle before coming to a stop near a parking lot.
