Vivian Alemán, sister of Rolando Alemán León, one of the five Hispanic workers who lost their lives in the Amazon cargo plane accident at Miami International Airport, spoke from Cruces, Cienfuegos with journalist Alexis Boentes and described with sorrow the last moments of her brother before the tragedy.
Rolando, a 55-year-old Cuban, had begun working at the company in January 2026. His sister Vivian recounted that on that fateful day, he was about to finish his shift.
"I was working that day. He was ten minutes away from leaving. They were practically about to leave work when it happened," said Vivian Alemán, her voice choked with emotion.
The woman described the images of the disaster as something she cannot forget: "I have been able to see the images, and honestly, it is very painful."
Regarding the van that her brother was traveling in, she was categorical: "The vehicle that transported him was completely destroyed."
Vivian also revealed an intimate detail that adds more weight to the family’s grief. Rolando always wore a medal from his late mother, whom he adored, and the family still does not know if that medal was found among the remains.
"He wore a medal on his chest that belonged to his mother, who he adored, but we haven't been able to determine if it was found on the bodies," he confessed.
When speaking about her brother, Vivian did not hide the deep bond that connected them or the burden that Rolando was already carrying before he emigrated: "He cared deeply for his family. And the death of his mother was something he could not get over."
The accident that claimed five lives
On Sunday, September 6, a Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air skidded off the runway while landing in Miami, coming from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The aircraft crossed a perimeter road of the airport and collided with a white Ford Econoline van that was carrying seven employees of Professional Ocean Service Corp., a contractor for aircraft cleaning and maintenance services.
Five workers died and two were injured. The Miami-Dade sheriff, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, officially identified the victims: Rolando Alemán León (55 years old), Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo (53), Julio C. Pineda (75), Carlos Acosta Fajardo (53), and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo (47).
The two injured individuals remain hospitalized and are: Ridoel Averhoff Díaz (32), reported in critical condition, and Roosevelt Sebastián Perdomo Torres (36), who was stable.
All the deceased were Cuban and worked for the same contracting company, according to 14yMedio.
The two pilots of the aircraft survived and have been discharged; they are: Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37 years old, and Joseph Carol, 55.
A third person has been reported injured. Their name is Eugenio Corredor (79). He was the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident. As of September 8th, he remained hospitalized in critical condition.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened a formal investigation to determine why the plane was unable to stop within the runway.
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