By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
MIAMI — Two people sustained minor injuries Saturday night, Nov. 14, when a UPS cargo aircraft and a Copa Airlines passenger jet collided at the intersection of two taxiways at Miami International Airport, causing damage to both aircraft but leaving airport operations largely unaffected.
The collision occurred at approximately 9:15 p.m. when the wingtip of a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 preparing to depart for Bogotá, Colombia, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Copa Airlines aircraft, operating as Flight 427, had arrived from Panama City, Panama, shortly after 9 p.m. and was taxiing toward its assigned gate. The plane was carrying 166 passengers and six crew members.
According to ABC News, air traffic controllers had instructed the UPS crew to yield to the arriving Copa Airlines flight before the aircraft made contact.
Audio from air traffic control communications captured a pilot reporting, “Somebody hit us.” Other recorded communications indicated that the UPS crew believed its aircraft had traveled too far along the taxiway before the collision.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel responded to the scene and evaluated two passengers who reported minor injuries. Both received treatment at the airport and did not require transportation to a hospital.
Copa Airlines confirmed that the remaining passengers and crew members were in good condition.
According to NBC 6 South Florida, preliminary information indicated that the collision involved the left wingtip of the passenger jet and the cargo aircraft.
Photographs taken after the incident showed visible damage to the nose of the UPS plane. Authorities have not released a complete assessment of the damage sustained by either aircraft.
UPS confirmed that its employees were unharmed and said the company would cooperate with investigators.
“We are aware of an incident involving one of our aircraft on the ground in Miami,” UPS said in a statement. “Our crew is safe, and we are committed to working with authorities to determine what happened. The safety of our employees and the public is our highest priority.”
Greg Chin, communications director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, confirmed that the aircraft made contact while traveling through an intersection used by arriving and departing flights.
Airport officials redirected other aircraft to alternative taxiways following the collision, allowing normal airport operations to continue without a significant disruption.
The FAA announced that it was investigating the incident, including the circumstances surrounding the taxiing instructions provided to the two flight crews.
The collision occurred as U.S. airlines continued recovering from Friday’s nationwide FAA ground stop, which disrupted thousands of flights after technical problems affected air traffic control communications and radar systems.
Federal officials have not identified any connection between the Miami collision and the previous day’s nationwide aviation disruption.
The FAA investigation will examine the aircraft movements and air traffic control communications leading up to the collision. No determination of responsibility has been announced.
As of Sunday, Nov. 15, both injured passengers had been treated at the scene, the UPS crew was reported safe, and Miami International Airport had continued operating while federal authorities investigated the accident.
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