Two aircraft collided on a taxiway at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, leaving two people with minor injuries, according to officials. The collision came as travellers across the US continued to face disruption following a nationwide ground stop that caused chaos at airports over the weekend.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 as the two planes were taxiing at the southeastern Florida airport. Air traffic controllers had told the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight, the agency said, adding that the Copa flight was taxiing to the gate and the UPS flight was taxiing for departure to Bogotá, Colombia.
The incident occurred at around 9:15 pm local time, Miami International Airport communications director Greg Chin said. He said there was no impact to airport operations as flights were directed to other taxiways. Two patients were treated on the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue for minor injuries and did not require medical transport, he added.
Copa Airlines confirmed that one of its planes had been involved in a collision at the airport as it taxied to the terminal after arriving from Panama City. According to preliminary information, a collision occurred between a cargo aircraft and the left-wing tip of the Boeing 737-800NG while both aircraft were moving along the airport's taxiways, the carrier said. There were 166 passengers and six crew members on board the Copa plane when the incident occurred.
A passenger on the Copa flight, Cesar Ferreira, told CNN that screams from those around him alerted him to the emergency. "We were taxiing after landing at a normal speed when, all of a sudden, I heard the chatter around me getting louder – followed by a collective scream and then the impact of another aircraft hitting ours," Ferreira said. "Inside the cabin, we felt the plane jerk abruptly sideways. At first, some passengers started freaking out, but the Copa crew reacted quickly, getting everyone to remain seated."
Copa Airlines said in a statement that it regrets the disruption this incident may cause its passengers and that the safety of its passengers and crew is its top priority, and it will cooperate with authorities as they investigate. UPS said in a statement that its crew is safe and that it is committed to working with authorities to determine what happened, adding that the safety of its employees and the public is its highest priority.
The weekend was marked by thousands of flight delays and cancellations in the wake of a four-hour FAA ground stop on Friday, which the Trump administration said stemmed from routine but botched maintenance aiming to switch telecommunication lines from old copper wire to fiber optic cables. The FAA has said airlines expect to return to their full operating schedules by Sunday night.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The collision highlights safety risks on airport taxiways, even in low-speed ground operations, and comes amid heightened scrutiny of air travel after a national ground stop.
- The incident occurred during a weekend of widespread disruption from the FAA ground stop, compounding travel chaos for passengers.
- Investigations by the FAA and airlines will aim to determine whether taxiway procedures or communication failures contributed to the collision.
Background
The FAA issued a four-hour nationwide ground stop on Friday due to a "telecommunications outage" that affected multiple air traffic control centers. The Trump administration said the outage resulted from botched maintenance to switch telecommunication lines from copper to fiber optic cables. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed a lack of congressional funding, though critics said the White House has not spent money already apportioned for upgrades.
Key Perspectives
FAA: said air traffic controllers had told the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight before the collision.
Copa Airlines: said it regrets the disruption and will cooperate with authorities.
UPS: said its crew is safe and committed to working with authorities.
Trump administration: blamed the Friday ground stop on a lack of congressional funding for infrastructure upgrades.
Critics: said the White House has not spent the money it has been apportioned to upgrade air travel infrastructure.
What to Watch
- The FAA's investigation findings into the cause of the collision and whether taxiway protocol changes are recommended.
- Whether the ground stop and collision lead to increased congressional scrutiny of air traffic control funding and infrastructure.
- Any potential impact on Copa Airlines and UPS operations as inspections of the damaged aircraft proceed.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedTwo aircraft collided on a taxiway at Miami International Airport on Saturday night.Euronews: “Two aircraft collided at Miami International Airport on Saturday night”
- SupportedTwo people suffered minor injuries in the collision.Euronews: “Two aircraft collided at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, leaving two people with minor injuries, according to officials.”
- SupportedThe collision happened a day after a nationwide ground stop caused by a telecommunications outage.Euronews: “Thousands of flights were cancelled on both Friday and Saturday after the stoppage - which was lifted on Friday evening - was ordered due to a "telecommunications outage."”
- SupportedThe FAA said a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 while both planes were taxiing.Euronews: “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 had struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 as the two planes were taxiing at the southeastern Florida airport.”
- SupportedThe FAA said air traffic controllers told the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight, which was taxiing to the gate, while the UPS flight was taxiing for departure to Bogotá.Euronews: “"Air traffic controllers had told the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight," the agency said, adding that the Copa flight was taxiing to the gate and the UPS flight was taxiing for departure to Bogotá.”
- SupportedMIA communications director Greg Chin said the incident occurred at around 9:15 pm local time.Euronews: “In a statement to Euronews, MIA communications director Greg Chin said the incident occurred at around 9:15 pm”
- SupportedTwo patients were treated at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue for minor injuries and did not need medical transport.Euronews: “"Two patients were treated on the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue for minor injuries and did not require medical transport," he added.”
- SupportedThere were 166 passengers and six crew members aboard the Copa plane.Euronews: “There were 166 passengers and six crew members on board the Copa plane when the incident occurred”
- SupportedCesar Ferreira said, “We were taxiing after landing at a normal speed when, all of a sudden, I heard the chatter around me getting louder – followed by a collective scream and then the impact of another aircraft hitting ours.”World news | The Guardian: ““We were taxiing after landing at a normal speed when, all of a sudden, I heard the chatter around me getting louder – followed by a collective scream and then the impact of another aircraft hitting ours,” Ferreira said.”
- SupportedFerreira said, “Inside the cabin, we felt the plane jerk abruptly sideways. At first, some passengers started freaking out, but the Copa crew reacted quickly, getting everyone to remain seated.”World news | The Guardian: ““Inside the cabin, we felt the plane jerk abruptly sideways. At first, some passengers started freaking out, but the Copa crew reacted quickly, getting everyone to remain seated.””
- SupportedThe weekend saw thousands of flight delays and cancellations following a four-hour FAA ground stop on Friday.World news | The Guardian: “The weekend was marked by thousands of flight delays and cancelations in the wake of a four-hour FAA ground stop on Friday”
- SupportedThe Trump administration said the ground stop stemmed from routine but botched maintenance intended to switch telecommunications lines from copper wire to fiber optic cables.World news | The Guardian: “which the Trump administration said stemmed from routine but botched maintenance aiming to switch telecommunication lines from old copper wire to fiber optic cables.”