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From Cuba to the jetway, 5 men eked out a living cleaning cabins in a perilous, fast-paced job. A runway crash killed them
The NTSB is probing the runway overrun as families sue Amazon and 21 Air, and five others were injured, officials said.
A cargo plane operated for Amazon by contractor 21 Air crashed last Sunday at Miami International Airport, killing five cleaning crew members in a van and injuring five others including two pilots.
The victims—Julio Pineda, Rolando Alemán León, Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo—had emigrated from Cuba to perform grueling, perilous aircraft cleaning shifts. Friends remembered them as hardworking providers who took pride in dangerous work.
Known as "El Mago" for performing magic tricks, 75-year-old Julio Pineda was among the victims. Friend Jos Sigas said Pineda "was always smiling and making jokes" despite working grueling 8-hour shifts.
Yaraisi Santiso Morejon, widow of victim Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Amazon, 21 Air, and the plane's pilots. Professional Ocean Service Corp. stated it was "heartbroken by this unimaginable tragedy" and pledged support to families.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash's cause at Miami International Airport. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel confirmed the company is cooperating fully with the NTSB and coordinating with 21 Air to support the inquiry.