A pilot who survived the deadly Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport reportedly made a heartbreaking statement moments after escaping the wreckage, saying his career was over as the scale of the tragedy began to unfold.
The Boeing 767, operated by cargo airline 21 Air for Amazon Prime Air, overran a runway while landing in Miami on September 6, 2026, after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aircraft continued about 1,300 feet beyond the runway, struck vehicles outside the airport perimeter and caught fire. Five people on the ground were killed, while five others were injured.
Witness Abraham Altamar told CBS News that one of the pilots appeared shaken and injured after getting out of the aircraft. According to Altamar, the pilot borrowed his phone to contact his wife and let his family know that he had survived.
During the emotional aftermath, the pilot reportedly said, “My career is over.”
Authorities later identified the two pilots as 55-year-old Joseph Carroll and 37-year-old Jaime Felipe Silva Molina. Both survived the crash and were treated for injuries, but CBS reported that it was not immediately clear which of the two pilots made the statement.
Federal investigators are now examining exactly what happened during the landing.
Preliminary flight-data information indicates the aircraft landed at high speed and that the crew may have briefly attempted a go-around after touchdown before abandoning it. Investigators also said the speed brakes and thrust reversers were not deployed during the critical moments of the runway overrun.
However, the National Transportation Safety Board has not yet determined the official cause of the crash, and investigators are examining weather conditions, aircraft performance, crew actions and other possible factors.
For the surviving pilot, the immediate thought may have been about the future of his aviation career.
But for the families of the five people who lost their lives, the consequences of the devastating Miami crash will last far beyond any investigation.
