After an Amazon Prime Air-branded plane crash killed five people this weekend in Miami, a victim's wife has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Amazon as well as the plane's operator, 21 Air.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Miami-Dade County, accused Amazon, 21 Air and the two pilots of failing to prevent what it deemed an avoidable accident.

Lawyers representing the wife of Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo alleged the crash was a foreseeable and preventable result of multiple concurrent failures" that included pilot error and inadequate training from Amazon and 21 Air.

The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the fatal incident, which occurred Sunday at Miami International Airport.

Landing in Miami after flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the plane careened off the runway, crashed into a fence and collided with a white Ford van and a Toyota Corolla Cross. Five of the seven occupants in the van, including Naranjo, were killed.

The NTSB has not said what caused the crash. The agency said Tuesday that there was no indication the plane had taken the usual steps to slow down before the crash. The plane's thrust reversers and speed brakes had not been deployed, according to the NTSB.

The fatal crash is broadly categorized as a runway excursion, when a plane overshoots a runway.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in an emailed statement Wednesday that the company will fully cooperate with NTSB investigators and any other investigating authorities. "Our deepest sympathies remain with the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating tragedy," Nantel said.

Amazon did not comment on the lawsuit.

The cargo airline 21 Air, did not respond to a request for comment. The airline's website is now a single page with CEO Keith Winters' statement on Sunday's crash.

"Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives," Winters said. "Our immediate priorities are supporting those affected, assisting the authorities, and ensuring that accurate information is communicated as it becomes available."

The victim's wife, Yaraisi Santiso Morejon, is seeking at least $50,000 in damages, excluding attorneys' fees as well as jury trial and possible punitive damages.

The lawsuit names Amazon as a defendant, although the company was not operating the plane. 21 Air is an Amazon contractor that operates flights for the tech giant as well as DHL.

Amazon doesn't operate its growing fleet of more than 100 planes. Roughly a dozen cargo airlines contract with Amazon to ship goods across the country, a practice that the e-commerce giant said is standard in commercial aviation. DHL, FedEx and UPS also use contract carriers.

Amazon launched Amazon Air in 2016, under the name Amazon Prime Air, which was emblazoned on the plane that crashed on Sunday. The company since dropped "Prime from the division's name to avoid confusion with its drone delivery program.

The plane that crashed was a Boeing 767-300, a former passenger aircraft built in 1994 that was converted to a freighter by a third party. The plane's build location is listed as Seattle Paine Field International Airport, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The plane was the first to feature Amazon’s “Prime Air” logo and made its debut at Seattle’s Seafair in 2016.

©2026 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.