UPS Cargo Jet Clips Copa Airliner at Miami Airport, Injuring Two

A UPS cargo plane and a Copa Airlines passenger jet collided on a taxiway at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, leaving two people with minor injuries, according to airport officials and the Federal Aviation Administration. The collision came a day after a nationwide ground stop disrupted air travel, and the FAA said it is investigating.

The airport said flights were being sent to other taxiways, so airport operations were not affected. All 166 passengers and six crew members on the Copa flight left the aircraft, the airline said.

Key facts about the Miami collision

Aircraft: A Copa Airlines Boeing 737 (Flight CM427, arriving from Panama City, Panama) and a UPS Boeing 767 (Flight 358, heading to Bogotá, Colombia).
Where: At the intersection of two taxiways, according to the airport's communications director, Greg Chin.
When: Saturday night. The airport put the time at about 9:15 p.m.; the FAA, as quoted by The New York Times and Fox News, said around 9 p.m.
Injuries: Two people were treated at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue for minor injuries and did not need to go to a hospital.
Who was on board: 166 passengers and six crew on the Copa plane; UPS said its crew is safe.
Investigation: The FAA is investigating.

What the FAA says happened

The FAA said the wingtip of the Copa 737 struck the nose of the UPS 767 while both aircraft were taxiing. The Copa plane had landed and was headed to its gate. The UPS plane was taxiing to depart for Bogotá. Air traffic controllers had told the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight, the agency said.

Chin described the event as contact between an arriving aircraft and a departing aircraft at the intersection of two taxiways. Copa said the left wingtip of its Boeing 737 was involved in the collision.

What air traffic control audio captured

Audio from air traffic control, reviewed by several outlets, caught the moments after the impact. The Copa pilot said on the radio that “somebody hit us,” CNN, Fox News and the New York Post reported. A controller then asked the UPS crew whether they had hit the other aircraft.

The UPS pilot acknowledged it, according to the audio, saying the crew “went too far” and that the other plane clipped them with its wing. Later, CNN reported, the Copa pilot said the aircraft appeared to be missing its left wingtip.

The FAA has so far said only that controllers had told the UPS crew to yield. Its investigation is under way, and the agency has not said what led to the collision.

What passengers and the airlines said

Cesar Ferreira, a passenger on the Copa flight, told CNN the plane was taxiing at a normal speed after landing when he heard the chatter around him grow louder, followed by a collective scream and then the impact. He said the cabin jerked sharply sideways and some passengers initially panicked, but the crew reacted quickly and got everyone to stay seated.

Ferreira said that after about 10 minutes the captain told passengers there was no imminent danger and that a tug would move the plane. Copa said the aircraft was later returned to the terminal and everyone disembarked. In a statement, the airline said it regrets the disruption to passengers, that safety is its top priority and that it will cooperate with investigators.

UPS said it is aware of an incident involving one of its aircraft on the ground in Miami, that its crew is safe and that it is committed to working with authorities to determine what happened. CNN reported that a photo of the UPS plane shows a crumpled nose with a large hole in the panels.

How this fits with the week's air travel problems

The collision came a day after the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop. Thousands of flights were canceled on Saturday as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews, The New York Times reported, and CNN said some passengers slept on airport terminal floors while waiting to be rebooked.

Reports differ on the cause of Friday's outages. The Times said federal officials pointed to an upgrade to air traffic control telecommunications equipment that triggered communications failures. The New York Post, citing FAA officials, said the likely cause was a botched contractor job or a faulty router affecting multiple facilities. Fox News described radar and communications systems experiencing instability.

The Times also noted that the Miami collision happened just over two months after an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway at the same airport, striking two vehicles and killing five people. A federal report found that an air traffic controller failed to warn the pilots about windy conditions when clearing them to land.

What this means for travelers

For travelers, the taxiway collision itself caused no change in operations at Miami, according to the airport. The larger effect on travel comes from the aftermath of Friday's ground stop. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight operations would be slow to rebound while airlines reposition planes and crews, and thousands of flights were canceled Saturday.

The Copa passengers were the only travelers directly involved in the collision. The airline said all 166 passengers and six crew members left the plane and that it was returned to the terminal; two people with apparent minor injuries received treatment, according to the airline.

Duffy said Saturday that air traffic control communications had returned to full operations. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said airlines expected to restore their full schedules by the end of Sunday, according to Fox News. Passengers whose flights were canceled may still be waiting to be rebooked.

What happens next

The FAA is investigating the collision, and the cause has not been disclosed. Meanwhile, airlines are working to restore their full schedules by the end of Sunday, according to Bedford, and Duffy has said air traffic control communications are back to full operations.

Frequently asked questions

What happened at Miami International Airport?

The wingtip of a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 while both were taxiing on Saturday night, according to the FAA.

Was anyone hurt?

Two people suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. They did not need to go to a hospital, according to airport officials.

Did the collision affect other flights in Miami?

The airport said flights were redirected to other taxiways and that there was no impact on operations.

When will flight schedules return to normal?

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said airlines expected to restore their full schedules by the end of Sunday, according to Fox News. Duffy said Saturday that air traffic control communications were back to full operations.

What caused Friday's nationwide ground stop?

Reports differ. The New York Times said an upgrade to air traffic control telecommunications equipment triggered communications failures, while the New York Post cited FAA officials pointing to a botched contractor job or a faulty router.