Amazon announced this Sunday the suspension of its operations with 21 Air, the cargo airline that operated the ill-fated flight 7598 at Miami International Airport, a decision that comes a week after the tragedy that claimed the lives of five Cuban workers.
"After the tragic incident of last weekend, we have devoted time to support the investigation and review some of the circumstances surrounding what happened, and we have decided to suspend our operations with 21 Air, the operator of flight 7598," stated Amazon spokesperson, Kelly Nantel, in an official statement.
Amazon indicated that the shipments previously assigned to 21 Air will be redistributed among other operators it already collaborates with: Sun Country Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Transport International, ABX Air, ASL Airlines, and Cargojet.
21 Air, a cargo airline based in North Carolina that primarily operates Boeing 767s, did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Its CEO, Keith Winters, had expressed condolences following the accident and promised cooperation with investigators.
The accident that shook Miami Airport
The incident occurred on September 6, when flight 7598 —a Boeing 767-300 coming from San Juan, Puerto Rico— overshot runway 30 at Miami Airport shortly before 2:00 p.m. and collided with two vehicles before becoming engulfed in flames.
The black boxes, according to the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), revealed alarming data: the aircraft touched down at 158 knots, equivalent to about 182 miles per hour, while one of the pilots repeatedly warned that the speed was excessive without receiving "a consistent verbal response."
Records also show that the air brakes and thrust reversers—systems designed to slow the aircraft after landing—were not deployed. "We still don’t know whether it was the pilots' choice or if they were not functioning," explained Pablo Rojas, a lawyer and aviation expert.
About 15 seconds before the cabin recording ended, one of the pilots requested a go-around maneuver to gain altitude again, but it was too late. Both pilots survived and have already been released from the hospital. The official cause of the accident remains undetermined.
Five Cubans dead and lawsuits underway
The five individuals who lost their lives were Cubans, employees of the airport cleaning company Professional Ocean Service Corporation. They were traveling in a work vehicle when the plane struck them.
Their names: Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo, 53 years old; Rolando Alemán León, 55; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47. Other five people were injured in the accident, of which three remain hospitalized.
The stories of the five deceased Cubans have left a deep mark on the migrant community in Miami.
Civil lawsuits have already been filed in the Miami-Dade courts, including two for wrongful death.
The widow of Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo filed a legal action against Amazon, 21 Air, and the pilots, alleging negligence, inadequate training, and the use of a 32-year-old aircraft.
The survivor Roosevelt Perdomo Torres and his wife also went to court, claiming he was "thrown through the air" and suffered fractures in his hand, leg, and ankle.
The lawsuits target Amazon Inc., Amazon Air Cargo, 21 Air LLC, and the pilots identified as Joseph Carroll and Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, among other companies connected to the operation. All allegations will need to be resolved in court while the federal investigation remains ongoing.
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