What happened at Miami airport? UPS cargo plane collides with Copa Airlines jet, two injured

A UPS cargo plane collided with a Copa Airlines passenger jet at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, November 14. The incident left two people with minor injuries, according to airport officials. Both were treated at the scene, according to New York Post.

The collision occurred around 9:15 p.m. as the two aircraft were taxiing on the ground. The Copa Airlines flight had arrived from Panama City and was bound for Bogota, Colombia, according to reports. Its wing struck the nose of UPS Flight 358 at the intersection of two taxiways.

What happened between the two planes?

Audio from air traffic control captured the exchange after the collision. The Copa Airlines pilot reported the incident over the radio, saying, “Somebody hit us.”


Also Read: How some California professors exploit a ‘loophole’ to rake in nearly $800,000 a year - out-earning administrators and even the system’s chancellor

An air traffic controller then asked the UPS Flight 358 pilot whether the cargo plane had hit the other aircraft.

“Yeah we went too far and he clipped us with his wing,” the UPS pilot replied, according to the audio cited by the New York Post.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the wingtip of a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 while both planes were taxiing. The agency said air traffic controllers had instructed the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight. The FAA is investigating the incident, as per CNN.

UPS said it was “committed to working with authorities to determine what happened.” The company also confirmed that its crew was safe. CNN said it had reached out to Copa Airlines for comment.

Were there any injuries?

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue treated two people at the scene for minor injuries. Neither required medical transport, Greg Chin, communications director for Miami International Airport, told the New York Post.

Did the collision affect airport operations?

Chin said flights were being directed to other taxiways after the incident. He added that there was no impact on airport operations at the time.

The cause of the collision has not been established in the available reports. It was also unclear whether the incident was connected to the effects of Friday's nationwide aviation ground stop.