Widow files wrongful death lawsuit after husband killed in Amazon cargo plane crash

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The widow of a man killed when an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, accusing Amazon, the aircraft operator and the pilots of multiple failures that she says contributed to her husband's death.

Yaraisi Santiso Morejon filed the lawsuit in Miami-Dade County after her husband, 53-year-old Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, was killed on Sept. 6 when Amazon Air Flight 7598 ran off Runway 30 and struck vehicles on and near airport property. Five people were killed and five others were injured in the crash.

Naranjo Was Driving a Cleaning Crew Van

Naranjo was driving a van carrying employees of an airline cleaning contractor when the Boeing 767 cargo plane struck it. Five of the seven people inside the van died, while two survived.

The two pilots, Joseph Carroll and Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, also survived and were hospitalized before being released.

The lawsuit names Amazon Inc., Amazon Air Cargo, 21 Air LLC and other companies connected to the aircraft, along with the plane's lessors and the two pilots.

Morejon is seeking at least $50,000 in damages.

Lawsuit Claims Crash Was Preventable

The lawsuit alleges the crash resulted from a combination of pilot error, inadequate training, operational failures and problems involving the aircraft itself.

Attorneys for Morejon argue the plane attempted a high-speed landing affected by a tailwind and that the pilots failed to execute a go-around when the approach became unstable.

The complaint also raises questions about the aircraft's age. The Boeing 767 was 32 years old and had been converted from a passenger aircraft into a freighter in 2015. Its braking, thrust-reverser and spoiler systems are among the issues being examined by federal investigators.

NTSB Findings Add New Questions

The lawsuit comes as the National Transportation Safety Board has released preliminary information from the aircraft's flight recorders.

According to the NTSB, one pilot repeatedly warned that the plane was traveling too fast during the approach and even after touchdown. The warnings continued for nearly two minutes, but investigators said there was no consistent verbal response from the other pilot.

The aircraft also generated multiple automated warnings, including alerts related to its descent rate and proximity to terrain.

Flight data indicates the plane touched down unusually far down the runway, leaving less distance available to slow the aircraft. After landing, the pilots briefly increased thrust in what investigators believe may have been an attempt to abort the landing and take off again, but that attempt was abandoned seconds later.

Investigators Are Examining the Plane and 21 Air

The Boeing 767 was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina-based cargo carrier that has transported packages for Amazon since 2024.

Investigators are examining a wide range of potential factors, including pilot decision-making, crew communication, training, aircraft maintenance, weather conditions and the performance of the plane's braking and other systems.

The NTSB has not yet determined the official cause of the crash, and the allegations contained in Morejon's lawsuit have not been proven in court.

Lawsuit Raises Broader Safety Concerns

The complaint also alleges that former 21 Air employees had previously raised safety concerns, including claims involving pilot fatigue, safety reporting and aircraft maintenance.

Those allegations are part of the lawsuit and remain disputed. Federal investigators are separately conducting their own examination of the crash and the airline's operations.

Amazon said it is cooperating fully with the NTSB and other authorities.

“Our deepest sympathies remain with the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating tragedy,” Amazon said in a statement to CBS Miami.

A Family Seeking Accountability

For Morejon, the legal action is an effort to determine how her husband and four other people could have lost their lives in a crash that investigators are still working to understand.

Her attorneys have described the incident as a preventable tragedy rather than an unavoidable accident and say they intend to pursue accountability from the companies and individuals named in the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the NTSB investigation continues. Investigators are expected to examine the pilots' actions, the aircraft's mechanical condition, operating procedures and weather conditions before reaching a final conclusion about what caused the deadly runway overrun.