The widow of a man killed when an Amazon-branded cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport has filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing corporate entities and the flight crew of negligence. Yaraisi Santiso Morejon filed the complaint in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, according to the Miami Herald. The crash resulted in five deaths and five injuries.
Widow Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over Fatal Miami Cargo Jet Crash
The plaintiff’s husband, 53-year-old Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, was driving a van for an airline cleaning contractor, Professional Ocean Service Corp., when the aircraft struck vehicles on the ground. Four of his co-workers were also killed in the incident: Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47. Attorney Mike Morgan stated that the workers had finished their final job and were heading home when the crash occurred, as reported by Yahoo News.
Allegations of Pilot Error and Corporate Failures
The lawsuit names Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Air Cargo, cargo carrier 21 Air, and the Boeing 767-300’s two pilots, Captain Joseph Carroll and co-pilot Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, among other corporate entities listed in the Miami Herald report. The complaint alleges that the disaster was the foreseeable and preventable result of multiple concurrent failures, including a high-speed, tailwind-affected landing and inadequate pilot training.
According to the lawsuit details reported by Fox Business, the aircraft landed more than 40 knots faster than recommended, touched down 4,000 feet past the target zone, and failed to execute a proper nose-flare maneuver. Legal representation for the plaintiff asserted that the pilots failed to execute a mandatory go-around or declare an emergency when the approach became unstable. The cargo jet ultimately plowed through airport perimeter fencing and overran the runway by approximately 1,300 feet.
Federal Investigation and Flight Data Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy noted that the Boeing 767 was returning from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on its third flight of the day, following earlier trips from Cincinnati to Miami and Miami to San Juan. NTSB investigator Chihoon Shin stated that flight recorder data indicated the aircraft’s thrust increased during landing in a manner consistent with an attempted go-around, but throttles were reduced to idle four seconds later and brakes were reapplied.
Investigators stated that the speed brakes and thrust reversers were not deployed during the sequence. NTSB figures show that Captain Carroll had logged 7,145 hours of flight experience, while co-pilot Silva Molina had logged 2,655 hours. At the time of the incident, the freighter was carrying more than 32,000 pounds of cargo, primarily consisting of contact lenses.
Corporate Responses and Ground Injuries
Amazon stated that its deepest sympathies remain with the families and loved ones affected, adding that it was cooperating with investigators and coordinating with 21 Air. The retail giant noted that using independent air carriers is standard practice in commercial aviation and that every jet operated on its behalf was flown by an FAA-certified air carrier under approved maintenance and operations programs. 21 Air also extended its condolences to those impacted by the tragedy.
In addition to the five fatalities, five individuals sustained injuries. According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, two injured individuals remained in critical condition, one was listed as stable, and the two pilots were treated and released following the accident.
