A UPS Boeing 767 freighter and a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 collided while taxiing at Miami International Airport (MIA) on Saturday night, with two people treated for minor injuries at the scene.
The incident occurred at about 21:15 local time at the intersection of two taxiways, according to airport communications director Greg Chin. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the wingtip of the Copa aircraft struck the nose of the UPS aircraft as both were moving on the ground.
Copa flight CM427 had landed from Panama City and was travelling towards its gate. The aircraft was carrying 166 passengers and six crew members. UPS flight 358 was preparing to depart Miami for Bogotá, Colombia.
Aircraft were moved from the taxiway
Copa said the aircraft’s left wingtip was involved in the collision. The passenger aircraft was subsequently towed to the terminal, where all passengers and crew disembarked. The two injured passengers received attention from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue but did not require hospital treatment, according to the details reported by airport and emergency-service officials.
UPS said its crew was safe. Both aircraft sustained damage, although the extent of the damage to the freighter and the passenger aircraft has not been established in the information released so far.
“Somebody hit us.”
The statement was made by the Copa flight crew in air traffic control audio after the contact. The recording also captured the UPS crew acknowledging that the aircraft had gone too far after a controller asked whether it had made contact with the other aircraft. The FAA is investigating the sequence of events, and the radio exchange does not establish the cause of the collision.
Miami operations continued
Miami International Airport said aircraft were directed to use alternative taxiways following the incident. Airport operations were not affected, although the collision came during a period of disruption across the US following a nationwide temporary suspension of flight operations ordered by the FAA on Friday.
The airport incident involved two aircraft serving different parts of Miami’s international network: a passenger service linking the Florida gateway with Copa’s Panama City hub and a UPS freighter preparing to operate a cargo flight to Colombia. The combination underlines the need to coordinate arriving passenger aircraft with departing freighters on a busy airport manoeuvring area, while the formal investigation will determine what happened.
| Aircraft | Flight | Movement | Reported detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copa Airlines Boeing 737 | CM427 | Arriving from Panama City | 166 passengers and six crew |
| UPS Boeing 767 | 358 | Preparing to depart for Bogotá | Crew reported safe |
The FAA has not announced a finding on responsibility or cause. Copa Airlines and UPS have said they will co-operate with the investigation, while the Copa aircraft’s passengers and crew were able to leave the aircraft safely.
