Operator of Crashed Prime Air 767 Faced Safety Concerns

Former employees have reported lax safety procedures and discouragement to report issues by ownership.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, September 09, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The NTSB on Tuesday shared this image of the 767 cargo jet's flight data recorder. [Credit: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB's preliminary investigation into the 21 Air Boeing 767 crash is analyzing flight data recorder (FDR) information, which indicates a late go-around attempt without the deployment of speed brakes or thrust reversers.
Former employees of 21 Air have raised significant safety concerns, alleging lax procedures, ignored warnings, deferred maintenance, and retaliation against those who reported issues, prompting the NTSB to seek more information.
The investigation is in its early stages, focusing on integrating FDR and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data with flight crew interviews, and also examining airport safety procedures, including Runway 30's lack of an EMAS (Engineering Materials Arrestor System).

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National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said Tuesday that she did not “know anything” about “reports of safety concerns” she has seen involving 21 Air—the operator of a Boeing 767-33A that crashed Sunday at Miami International Airport (KMIA), killing five people.

Since Homendy’s news briefing Tuesday, the second and final on-scene conference the NTSB conducted regarding the accident and investigation, former 21 Air employees have raised concerns with the operator’s allegedly lax safety procedures.