A passenger aircraft operated by Copa Airlines collided with a UPS cargo plane while taxiing at Miami International Airport in the United States on Saturday night, leaving two people with minor injuries.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:15 p.m. local time when the two aircraft came into contact at the intersection of two taxiways, airport authorities said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the wingtip of a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767. ABC News reported that the collision happened as both aircraft were moving on the airport’s taxiway system.
The Copa Airlines aircraft had arrived from Panama City, Panama, and was heading towards its designated gate. Meanwhile, the UPS cargo plane was preparing for a scheduled departure to Bogota, Colombia.
The FAA disclosed that air traffic controllers had instructed the UPS aircraft to give way to the incoming Copa Airlines jet before the incident occurred.
Miami-Dade Aviation authorities confirmed that two individuals sustained minor injuries and received medical attention at the scene from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel. However, neither required transportation to a hospital.
UPS acknowledged the incident, confirming that one of its cargo aircraft was involved. The company added that all members of its crew were safe and that it was cooperating with relevant authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.
“The safety of our employees and the public is our highest priority,” UPS said in a statement.
CBS News Miami identified the aircraft involved as UPS Flight 358, which was scheduled to operate a service to Bogota, and Copa Airlines Flight 427, which had arrived from Panama City.
The incident comes amid operational difficulties at Miami International Airport, where airlines and passengers have been dealing with flight delays and cancellations following a nationwide ground stop ordered by the FAA on Friday.
The disruption was linked to technical problems affecting the country’s air traffic control communications infrastructure during ongoing maintenance work, according to the Trump administration.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that the problems emerged during an upgrade project involving the replacement of ageing copper communication cables with high-speed fibre-optic lines.
According to Duffy, the technical disruption affected communication systems responsible for supporting coordination between aircraft and radar operations.
He suggested that a contractor’s mistake or defective equipment could have initiated the problem, resulting in an overload of other routers within the air traffic control network.
Friday’s nationwide ground stop temporarily halted departures across the United States for more than four hours, creating additional pressure on airlines and airport operations.
The FAA is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the Miami taxiway collision as authorities continue to assess the incident.
