The cockpit voice recorder of the Amazon Air Boeing 767 that overran a runway at Miami International Airport this past Sunday reveals that one pilot repeatedly warned that the aircraft was going too fast during its descent. The warnings began when the plane was midway through its descent. The recording is now a focal point for investigators trying to piece together what happened.
According to CNN, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released this investigative update while cautioning that these findings are preliminary and subject to change, especially after interviews with the crew. Reuters reported that the aircraft, which was operated by the Miami-based company 21 Air, overran the runway by approximately 1,300 feet before it struck two vehicles, including a van full of cleaning workers, leading to the tragic deaths of five people.
Per the outlets, the recording paints a tense picture of the flight’s final moments. About two minutes after the crew was cleared for landing, one pilot explicitly stated that the plane was going too fast. Throughout the remainder of the recording, that same pilot continued to make comments regarding the excessive speed of the jet. Despite these repeated warnings, the NTSB noted that there was no consistent verbal response from the other pilot in the cockpit.
Many points of failure
Beyond the communication breakdown, the black box also captured that the plane’s automated systems were signaling that something was wrong, per CNN. The Ground Proximity Warning System issued several alerts as the jet descended toward the runway. The system twice sounded a “sink rate” warning, which alerts pilots that the aircraft is dropping too fast.
Additionally, the outlet noted that there were five separate “too low terrain” warnings, which can indicate that a plane is flying too low and too fast. As Anthony Brickhouse, an aerospace safety consultant, noted, “The big question is, why did they continue their approach? They had several cues that their approach was not stable, but they continued instead of going around.”
The flight data recorder, which investigators reportedly recovered along with the cockpit voice recorder from the tail of the plane, provided further insight. Fifteen seconds after the plane touched down, one of the pilots called for a go-around, which is a procedure used to abort a landing and circle for another attempt. At that moment, the plane was still traveling at nearly 140 mph.
According to CNN, the flight data shows that one pilot released the wheel brakes and pushed the throttles to full take-off power. However, just four seconds later, those throttles were brought back to idle, and the brakes were reapplied. By that time, the aircraft was already careening off the end of the runway.
As of now, there are no indications that speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed during the incident. Both of these systems are reportedly designed to help slow a plane down, with speed brakes utilizing aerodynamic surfaces and thrust reversers diverting air from the engine. The NTSB is working to understand why these actions were not taken and the rationale for the crew’s decisions.
“What we need to do is talk to the crew and get their account to understand how they’re manipulating the controls in order to get a better understanding of the situation,” Chihoon Shin, the NTSB investigator in charge, told CNN.
He further noted, “Crew interviews will help fill in some of the blanks for us … in terms of actions that they might have done but not verbalized. And that’s something that we need a complete understanding of before we’re about to analyze what happened with the throttles in this case.” Black Box data was also key in identifying the cause of the crash with Air India last year.
CNN reported that the five individuals who lost their lives were employees of Professional Ocean Service Corp., a contract cleaning company for the airport. Three other people remained hospitalized as of Tuesday, with two of them reported to be in critical condition.
A wrongful death lawsuit has already been filed against the pilots, Amazon, and 21 Air, alleging that multiple failures contributed to what the plaintiffs describe as a preventable disaster. For now, a streamer is already in trouble for a disrespectful picture with the debris.
The NTSB continues to gather evidence, per Reuters, including data from the air traffic control tower and interviews with the flight’s dispatcher. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 had been on its third flight of the day, having traveled from Cincinnati to Miami and then to San Juan before returning to Miami for the final, fatal approach.
Per Reuters, the captain, Joseph Carol, has over 7,000 hours of flight time, and the first officer, Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, has over 2,500 hours. Their experience, more than anything, makes a communication breakdown so strange.
Published: Sep 11, 2026 01:16 pm