A UPS cargo aircraft and a Copa Airlines passenger jet were involved in a collision at Miami International Airport on Saturday night. The incident occurred at approximately 9:15 pm local time as the two planes were at the intersection of two taxiways. One aircraft was reportedly in the process of arriving, while the other was preparing for departure.
According to Greg Chin, the communications director at Miami International Airport, the contact resulted in no injuries. He confirmed in a statement to CBS News Miami that while the planes were damaged, airport operations remained functional, with flights being directed to alternative taxiways. Footage shared by a passenger aboard the Copa Airlines flight showed visible damage to the nose of the Boeing 737, which had been arriving from Panama City, Panama. The UPS Boeing 767, which was set to depart for Bogota, Colombia, also sustained damage during the incident.
Social media reports included audio purportedly from air traffic control during the collision, where a voice noted that one aircraft had "gone too far" and had been clipped by a wing. The exact circumstances leading to the physical contact remain under investigation. The airport authority maintained that the incident did not disrupt broader airport operations.
Key facts
- The collision involved a UPS Boeing 767 and a Copa Airlines Boeing 737.
- The incident occurred at 9:15 pm local time on Saturday.
- Contact took place at the intersection of two airport taxiways.
- No injuries were reported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
- The Copa Airlines jet was arriving from Panama City, while the UPS flight was headed to Bogota.
Why it matters
The collision took place during a period of wider turbulence for the United States aviation sector, which has been grappling with delays and cancellations following a significant nationwide disruption to air traffic control systems on Friday. Federal officials, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), had ordered a five-hour ground stop the previous day after communication problems affected multiple control centers. While the ground stop was lifted, officials indicated that air travel operations would take time to normalize following the infrastructure-related issues.
Background
The recent nationwide flight disruption was attributed to issues within aging air traffic control infrastructure, specifically data overload affecting switches and routers, which caused inconsistencies in communication and radar systems.
Source: Times of India
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