A fatal cargo jet crash in Miami is drawing federal scrutiny to the contractor network behind Amazon Air's Hebron hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Amazon Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 freighter, departed CVG on Sept. 6 flew to Miami, then to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and back to Miami. On that return leg, the aircraft overran Runway 30 at approximately 1:53 p.m., killing five people and injuring five others, according to WLWT, citing the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The flight was not operated by Amazon. The company does not hold its own Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air carrier certificate. Instead, contracted carriers fly Amazon's routes. Flight 7598 was operated by 21 Air LLC, a Greensboro, North Carolina-based cargo carrier that began flying Boeing 767-300 freighters for Amazon in 2024 and runs eight planes for the network, according to TIME, citing aviation analytics firm Cirium.
That contractor model is now a central focus of the federal investigation. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said at a Sept. 7, press conference that her team of 32 personnel will examine 21 Air's policies, pilot training, the contractual relationship with Amazon, FAA oversight, air traffic control data, the airframe and engines, and weather conditions.
"I would describe it in one word as devastating, utter devastation," Homendy said after walking the aircraft's path from the runway to its resting point.
Amazon's CVG Air Hub opened in 2021 after a $1.5 billion investment and supports approximately 250 daily flights using more than 100 freighters flown entirely by contracted carriers, according to FlightGlobal as of July 2026. FreightWaves described CVG as Amazon's "superhub" in its crash coverage.
The aircraft traveled roughly 1,300 feet past the paved runway surface, struck navigational aids, tore through a perimeter fence and hit two vehicles, according to WPBF. All five killed were in those vehicles: a Ford Econoline van carrying seven airline cleaning workers and a Toyota Corolla Cross on a public road outside the airport, CBS Miami reported. Three of the injured were in critical condition. The pilot and co-pilot were trapped in the cockpit and had to be extracted by rescue crews.
Flight tracking data showed the 32-year-old Boeing 767, built in 1994 and converted to cargo use in 2016, was traveling at about 112 knots (129 mph) when it left the usable runway surface.
Investigators recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, sending them to NTSB headquarters in Washington for analysis. The NTSB will also examine whether an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) at the runway's end could have reduced the damage. Miami International does not have EMAS. It is not required there because the airport has a standard 1,000-foot runway safety area.
The crash is not the first fatal accident involving an Amazon-contracted freighter. In February 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a Boeing 767-300 flying from Miami to Houston on behalf of Amazon, crashed in Texas, killing all three aboard. The NTSB attributed that crash to pilot error.
Amazon said in a Sept. 6 statement that it was "heartbroken" and would cooperate fully with the investigation. 21 Air CEO Keith Winters said in a separate statement that the company was cooperating with the NTSB and FAA.
No statements from CVG airport officials or Amazon's Hebron operations were available as of publication. The NTSB planned a second briefing for Sept. 8 and expects to publish a preliminary report within 30 days.
