UPS and Copa Airlines Planes Collide at Miami International Airport

Two aircraft collided on a taxiway at Miami International Airport on Saturday, November 14, leaving two people with minor injuries.

The ground collision occurred at 9:15 p.m. local time as carriers struggled to resume standard flight schedules following a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop on Friday, Sky TG24 reported. An arriving Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a departing UPS Boeing 767 while both planes moved across the airfield.

The flight of Copa Airlines had just landed in Miami coming from Panama, while the UPS plane was preparing for takeoff toward Bogotá, in Colombia. Specifically, UPS flight 358 was departing for Bogotá, Colombia.

“The wingtip of a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 while the aircraft were taxiing,” the Federal Aviation Administration stated. Air traffic controllers had instructed the UPS crew to yield the right-of-way to the incoming Copa flight, according to federal regulators.

“We were taxiing after landing, at a normal speed, when all of a sudden I felt the buzz around me get more intense, followed by a collective scream and then the impact of another aircraft against ours,” Cesar Ferreira, a passenger on the Copa flight, told Sky TG24.

“Inside the cabin we felt the plane suffer a sharp lateral jolt. Initially some passengers panicked, but the Copa crew reacted promptly, managing to keep everyone seated,” Ferreira explained. Ferreira recounted that after about 10 minutes, the captain announced that there was no imminent danger and that a tow vehicle would arrive to move the aircraft.

Airport communications director Greg Chin stated that emergency medical teams and firefighters treated two individuals for minor injuries directly at the scene.

“We are committed to cooperating with the authorities to determine what happened,” representatives for UPS stated, confirming that their flight crew remained safe following the impact. The incident left the cargo aircraft with a heavily crushed nose cone and a wide tear across its forward panels.

Copa Airlines issued a statement expressing regret over passenger disruptions. “The safety of our passengers and our crew is our highest priority; we will cooperate with the authorities during the investigations,” the airline stated. Crews eventually towed the aircraft back to the terminal, allowing all 166 passengers and six crew members to disembark safely.

The Federal Aviation Administration formally opened an investigation into the runway incident.

Authorities have not yet released a timeline for the conclusion of the safety inquiry.