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 is investigating a Boeing 767 crash at Miami International that killed five people, with initial flight data indicating a late go-around attempt where speed brakes and thrust reversers were not deployed.
The aircraft operator, 21 Air, faces allegations from former employees of lax safety procedures, deferred maintenance, and discouraging safety concerns, which the NTSB is now inviting further input on.
Investigators are conducting interviews with the surviving pilots and examining other factors, including the runway's lack of an Engineered Material Arrestor System (EMAS), as the probe is still in early stages.

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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.