A UPS cargo plane and a Copa Airlines passenger jet collided while taxiing at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, officials said. No serious injuries were reported after the incident involving a Boeing 767 and a Boeing 737-800NG.
The Copa flight had arrived from Panama City at about 9pm and was moving towards the terminal when contact was made, the airline said. Preliminary information indicated that the UPS aircraft struck the left wingtip of the passenger jet.
Greg Chin, the airport’s communications director, said an arriving aircraft and a departing aircraft had made contact at the intersection of two taxiways at approximately 9.15pm.
“There are no reported injuries and flights are being directed to other taxiways, so there is no impact to airport operations at this time,” he said.
Two passengers assessed after Miami airport collision
Copa Airlines Flight 427 was carrying 166 passengers and six crew members. Two passengers were assessed by airport paramedics for apparent minor injuries, but neither needed to be taken to hospital.
The aircraft reached the terminal and all passengers had disembarked. The remaining passengers and crew were reported to be in good condition.
UPS Flight 358 had been scheduled to leave Miami for Bogota, Colombia, while the Copa aircraft was arriving from Panama City.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority, and we will cooperate with authorities as they investigate the incident,” Copa Airlines said.
The collision occurred as Miami International Airport continued to experience delays and cancellations following a nationwide ground stop issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday. Federal officials said problems with ageing air traffic control technology had contributed to the disruption, while the FAA administrator said schedules were expected to return to normal by the end of Sunday.
