UPS cargo plane and Copa Airlines jet collision at Miami International Airport, Digi Mart USA News (Miami, Florida): A UPS cargo plane and a Copa Airlines passenger jet collided on a taxiway at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, according to airport officials and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The incident occurred at approximately 9:15 p.m., the airport said. According to a statement from the FAA, the wingtip of a Copa Airlines Boeing 737, which was taxiing to its gate, struck the nose of a UPS Boeing 767 that was taxiing for departure to Bogota, Colombia.
The FAA said air traffic controllers had instructed the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight. Air traffic control audio captured one pilot saying, “Somebody hit us.” Photos published with the report showed damage to the nose of one of the aircraft.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue treated two people at the scene for minor injuries, according to Miami-Dade Aviation; neither needed to be taken to a hospital. The airport said flights were redirected to other taxiways, so there was no impact on airport operations.
UPS said in a statement that it was aware of the incident involving one of its aircraft on the ground in Miami. “Our crew is safe, and we are committed to working with authorities to determine what happened,” the company said, adding that the safety of its employees and the public is its highest priority.
