Two planes collided while taxiing at Miami International Airport, leaving two people with minor injuries and prompting an investigation into how the incident occurred.
The incident involved a UPS aircraft and a Copa Airlines flight which had arrived from Panama City on Saturday night. The airport said the arriving and departing aircraft made contact at the intersection of two taxiways at approximately 9.15pm.
Air traffic control audio captured one pilot reporting: “Somebody hit us.” The controller then told UPS flight 358: “You’re supposed to give way to the 73 there.”
After asking whether the aircraft had struck the other plane, the controller was told: “Yeah we went too far and he clipped us with his wing.”
Reports said the nose of one aircraft collided with the wing tip of the other. Two passengers on the Copa flight were reported to have complained of back pain, while officials described the collision as minor.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said crews responded to reports of a minor aircraft collision at 9.07pm. Firefighters assessed two people at the scene, but neither required transport to hospital.
The airport initially said there were no reported injuries and that flights were being directed along other taxiways. It later confirmed that two people had been treated at the scene and said airport operations had not been affected.
UPS said its crew was safe and that it was working with authorities to establish what had happened.
