Two people sustained minor injuries on Saturday night when a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 and a UPS Boeing 767 collided on a taxiway at Miami International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Taxiway Collision at Miami International Airport
The incident occurred at approximately 9:15 p.m. as both aircraft were taxiing. Greg Chin, the airport’s communications director, told CNN that the wingtip of the Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of the UPS Boeing 767. Air traffic controllers had instructed the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight, the FAA said.
Audio from air traffic control captured the immediate aftermath of the impact. “Somebody hit us,” the pilot of the Copa flight said to the controller, according to the recordings.
When the controller asked the UPS crew if they made contact, the UPS pilot replied, “Yeah, we went too far, and then he, he clipped us with the wing.” The Copa pilot later added, “It seems that we are missing the left wingtip.”
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Photos of the UPS plane show its nose crumpled with a gaping hole in the panels. The Copa aircraft had just landed from Panama City, Panama, while the UPS flight was preparing to take off for Bogotá, Colombia.
Did You Know? The collision occurred just over two months after an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway at the same Miami airport, striking two vehicles and killing five people, according to federal reports cited by The New York Times.
Copa passengers describe the impact and crew response
Copa passenger Cesar Ferreira described the sudden impact to CNN. “We were taxiing after landing at a normal speed when, all of a sudden, I heard the chatter around me getting louder, followed by a collective scream and then the impact of another aircraft hitting ours,” Ferreira said. He said that inside the cabin, passengers felt the plane jerk abruptly sideways before the crew intervened.
“At first, some passengers started freaking out, but the Copa crew reacted quickly, getting everyone to remain seated,” Ferreira told CNN. After about 10 minutes, the captain announced there was no imminent danger and a tug would be brought in to move the aircraft.
All 166 passengers and six crew members successfully disembarked and the plane was returned to the terminal, Copa stated. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue teams treated the two injured individuals at the scene for minor injuries, Chin said, and they did not require transport to a hospital, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
FAA investigates the collision as airport operations continue
The FAA launched an investigation into the cause of the taxiway collision. UPS stated it is committed to working with authorities to determine what happened and confirmed that its crew was safe. Copa Airlines issued a statement saying it regrets the disruption caused to passengers and that safety remains its top priority while it cooperates with investigators.
Airport officials said that flights were directed to other taxiways following the accident, preventing any major impact on overall airport operations. The collision unfolded as aviation facilities nationwide worked to resume normal flight schedules following a nationwide FAA ground stop on Friday that left passengers sleeping on terminal floors.
Questions about the Miami airport collision
Which airlines were involved in the Miami airport collision?
The accident involved a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet and a UPS Boeing 767 cargo plane. The Copa flight had arrived from Panama City, Panama, while the UPS flight was scheduled to depart for Bogotá, Colombia.
Were there any serious injuries reported?
Two people sustained minor injuries in the collision and received treatment at the scene from fire and rescue teams. All 166 passengers and six crew members aboard the Copa flight safely disembarked.
What caused the two aircraft to collide on the taxiway?
The FAA said that air traffic controllers had instructed the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight. The federal agency is investigating the exact sequence of events that led the UPS plane to cross paths with the taxiing commercial jet.
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