One of the two pilots who survived the deadly Amazon Prime cargo jet crash at Miami International Airport had previously boasted of his commitment to safety and ‘sound decision making’ throughout his aviation career, the Daily Mail can reveal.
First Officer Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37, was identified as a pilot, alongside Captain Joseph Carroll, 55, who was aboard the flight that barreled off the runway Sunday, killing five people.
A LinkedIn profile seen by the Daily Mail shows Silva describes himself as a pilot who thrives in ‘dynamic environments where professionalism, communication and sound decision making are essential.’
‘I remain committed to advancing my aviation career while contributing to safe, efficient and high-performing flight operations,’ he added.
Silva, who was hospitalized and then released, also says his ‘professional foundation combines technical expertise, operational experience, and a strong commitment to safety, continuous improvement and teamwork.’
The Colombian-born commercial pilot moved from his native Bogota to Miami, where he built a life with his now wife Lorena Arevalo.
And social media posts reveal how Silva even used his passion for aviation to pull off an elaborate proposal to Arevalo six years ago.
Photos show he flew over to reveal a massive ‘MARRY ME’ sign spelled out on the lawn, before getting down on bended knee on the tarmac.
First Officer Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37, was identified as one of the two pilots who was aboard the flight that barreled off the runway Sunday in Miami. Both pilots survived
The Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crash-landed on Sunday afternoon, slamming into two vehicles and killing five people
The couple later posed with champagne and the new rock on his then-fiancée’s finger, alongside a light aircraft.
He even documented the romantic surprise in a nine-minute video titled ‘A proposal to remember in the air,’ and teasing in the caption: ‘she has no idea what is about to happen.’
The footage shows the couple buckled up in the plane and taking off, flying in the clear south Florida skies until he made his bride-to-be look down – where she spotted the marry me sign and was overcome, tearfully repeating, ‘te amo, te amo (I love you).’
Silva and Arevalo tied the knot two years later, with the groom commenting on a picture of his bride in her wedding dress: ‘I love you my beautiful doll.’
Other Facebook images offer glimpses into the couple’s life together in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood and other locations – while another shows Arevalo showing off a baby bump in April 2025.
Meanwhile, Silva further describes his professional background on LinkedIn as ‘diverse in flight instruction, passenger and cargo operations, aviation safety, and aeronautical education.’
He says he gained an aeronautical engineering degree from his native Colombia and now combines his commercial flying with continuing to study aeronautical science at Miami Dade College ‘with only a few courses remaining toward graduation.’
It is unclear when his profile was last updated.
Photos on social media show Silva used his passion for aviation to pull off a romantic proposal for his now wife Lorena in March 2020
The Colombian-born pilot moved from his native Bogota to Miami, where he has built his life with wife Lorena
‘Currently, I serve as a First Officer on the Boeing 767-300, supporting domestic and international cargo operations for major logistics partners including Amazon Air, DHL, and Cargojet,’ he says.
Both Silva and Carroll were hospitalized after the aircraft crashed while trying to land on Sunday – but have since been released.
Earlier on Tuesday, the five victims, who were traveling on the ground in a van, were identified as Rolando Aleman, 55, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53, Julio C Pineda, 75, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.
The aircraft slammed into the vehicle and then onto a local street where it destroyed an SUV. It is unclear how many people were in the SUV.
The five victims were part of a group of seven passengers traveling in a van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp., a contract cleaning company for airline companies, NBC News reported.
Three other people are still hospitalized, according to authorities.
Eugenio Corredor, 79, and Ridoel Averhoff Diaz, 32, who were passengers in the van, are in critical condition. Roosevelt Sebastian Perdomo Torres, 36, who was on the ground, is in stable condition.
The plane was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico – the aircraft’s third trip of the day, according to Homendy.
Silva and Captain Joseph Carroll were the two pilots at the helm of the Boeing 767 jet when it barreled off the runway in Miami on Sunday
The Boeing 767 slammed into two vehicles as it tried to land on the tarmac
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but a preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration found that the airport is not equipped with the Engineered Materials Arresting System that has been installed at more than 120 airports nationwide.
The system places beds of lightweight, crushable material at the end of a runway to help bring planes that overshoot the tarmac safely to a stop, the agency said.
Homendy said the plane overshot the runway, making it about 1,300ft past the paved surface.
Terrifying dispatch audio obtained by the Daily Mail revealed the horrific moment rescuers counted the dead after the crash.
‘This aircraft overran the runway and crossed 67th Avenue. It struck a truck,’ one emergency responder said, according to the audio.
‘We do have a patient on the ground. We’re looking at surveilling the area for more patients.’
