Amazon has suspended its collaboration with cargo airline 21 Air LLC, after one of the carrier's aircraft veered off the runway in Miami on September 6, resulting in the deaths of five individuals on the ground. In a statement posted to its news blog on Sunday, Amazon noted, "We have dedicated time to supporting the investigation and reviewing the relevant circumstances, and have made the decision to pause our partnership with 21 Air. We remain committed to aiding the investigation and assisting all those impacted."
The flight, operating as number 7598, involved a Boeing 767 freighter that exited the tarmac at Miami International Airport and collided with two vehicles. According to cockpit voice recordings released by the National Transportation Safety Board, one of the pilots had ordered a go-around due to the aircraft's excessive landing speed. 21 Air issued a statement expressing "full confidence in our safety policies, procedures, and training," adding that it would concentrate on "working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board and all partners, including Amazon, while the investigation continues." All five victims who lost their lives and the five who sustained injuries were located inside the two vehicles struck by the aircraft.