In the US, widow of crash victim sues Amazon after Miami plane accident
In Miami, United States, the widow of Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, who died after an Amazon cargo plane ran off the runway, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Yaraisi Santiso Morejon alleges that a series of operational and pilot failures led to the crash, ABC News Australia reports.
The lawsuit was filed against Amazon, the aircraft operator and two pilots. The plaintiff is seeking at least $50,000 in compensation. Her husband was driving a minibus carrying a cleaning crew when an Amazon cargo Boeing 767 crashed into it.
NTSB investigation data
The Amazon Prime Air aircraft arrived at Miami International Airport from San Juan, Puerto Rico. After running off the runway, it collided with vehicles on and near airport grounds before catching fire. Five people were killed and another five were injured in the accident. As of Tuesday, two victims were in critical condition.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the causes of the crash and has not yet reached final conclusions. The NTSB's published summary of cockpit recordings indicates that one pilot repeatedly warned the other for nearly two minutes that the aircraft's speed was too high during the approach and after touchdown. The agency said there was no consistent verbal response to those warnings.
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Unstable approach
Flight recorder data also documented an unstable approach in strong winds. After touchdown, the pilots briefly released the brakes and increased engine thrust, likely attempting to take off again for another approach. This attempt was aborted after about four seconds.
The recordings also contain automated warnings about descent speed and proximity to the ground. According to Flightradar24's assessment based on NTSB data, the aircraft touched down almost halfway down the runway. The runway is 2,853 meters long, leaving less distance to stop. Strong winds associated with approaching storms may have created a tailwind and increased the aircraft's ground speed.
The flight was operated by North Carolina-based cargo carrier 21 Air, which has transported parcels for Amazon since 2024. NTSB investigators are to examine the aircraft's history and maintenance, weather conditions at the airport and 21 Air's operations.
