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Federal investigators said Sept. 9 that one of the pilots of the Amazon Prime Air cargo plane that overran a runway at Miami International Airport repeatedly commented about the aircraft's excessive speed during the final one minute and 42 seconds of the cockpit voice recording.In an investigative update, the National Transportation Safety Board said there was not a consistent verbal response to the remarks about speed and that the aircraft's system announced "Too low, terrain" several times before the plane touched down. The agency did not identify which pilot made the comments.The latest findings come as the wife of one of the victims killed in the Sept. 6 crash filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the accident was caused by multiple failures involving the two pilots aboard, aircraft operators and others connected to the flight.Investigators have not determined the cause of the crash, which killed five people and injured five others after Amazon Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-33A operated by 21 Air LLC, overshot the runway and struck two vehicles. Preliminary findings from the NTSB have pointed to questions about the aircraft’s speed as it approached the runway and the crew’s handling of the landing.Fifteen seconds before the cockpit voice recording ended, one of the pilots called for aborting the landing and "throttles were increased to a value consistent with go-around thrust," according to the NTSB. But four seconds later the throttles were pulled back to idle, and the recorder caught sounds similar to the plane departing the paved runway surface.The agency previously said there was no indication in the recorded data that speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed to help slow the aircraft.Lawsuit alleges 'series of failures' in Amazon cargo plane crashThe wrongful death lawsuit, filed Sept. 9 in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court by Yaraisi Santiso Morejon, seeks damages over the death of her husband, 53-year-old Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, who was driving a van when the Boeing 767 overran the runway.The complaint names Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Air Cargo, Miami-based cargo carrier 21 Air LLC and the two pilots as defendants. The suit alleges pilot error, inadequate training and the deployment of a 32-year-old aircraft whose systems are under investigation."We allege that this was not a freak accident, but a foreseeable and preventable disaster caused by negligence," Morgan & Morgan attorney Mike Morgan said in a statement. "What we've already uncovered points to a series of failures by the people flying the plane, the companies that put it in the air and the systems that were supposed to prevent this exact kind of tragedy."21 Air has said it is cooperating with the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration and local authorities. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel previously said the company would fully cooperate with investigators and continue coordinating with 21 Air, which operated the flight.Lawsuit alleges series of failures in Amazon cargo plane crashAccording to the complaint, the Boeing 767 overran the runway shortly before 2 p.m. Sept. 6 and traveled about 1,300 feet beyond the pavement before crashing into two vehicles. Five people were killed, all occupants of a van owned by a contract cleaning company for airlines and another vehicle, authorities previously said."The crash killed five innocent people and seriously injured five others, three critically," the lawsuit states. "The victims were airport workers and a motorist on a public road, people who had every reason to believe they were safe. They were not."The van was a 2012 Ford Econoline owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp., which was carrying seven employees, according to authorities. It was inside airport property at the time of the crash. The second vehicle struck was a Toyota Corolla Cross traveling outside the airport's perimeter fence.The suit alleges the pilots of the aircraft continued an unstable approach in tailwind conditions, landed too far down the runway, and failed to initiate a go-around before the aircraft overran the runway.The complaint also alleges Amazon and 21 Air failed to adequately train and supervise pilots and allowed unsafe operational practices. It further claims the companies involved placed into service a 32-year-old aircraft whose braking, thrust reverser and spoiler systems are among components being examined by investigators.NTSB investigation into plane crash continuesThe NTSB is continuing its investigation into the incident, which occurred after the cargo jet arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on its third flight of the day. The aircraft, operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Prime Air, had earlier flown from Cincinnati to Miami and from Miami to San Juan before the crash.The aircraft departed with a takeoff weight of 252,182 pounds and was expected to land at 231,236 pounds, according to Homendy. The plane's cargo weighed 32,222 pounds and consisted primarily of contact lenses.Investigators said no hazardous materials were aboard.Investigators said the captain, 55, received his Boeing 767 type rating in May and had logged 7,145 flight hours. The first officer, 37, received his 767 type rating in April 2025 and had accumulated 2,655 flight hours.Contributing: Sarah Perkel, USA TODAY Network; Reuters
