On Saturday evening, a UPS cargo Boeing 767 and a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 collided at Miami International Airport, resulting in two individuals receiving emergency care at the scene.
The collision took place around 9:15 p.m. Eastern Time at the intersection of two taxiways. One aircraft was arriving at the airport while the other was preparing for departure, as reported by Univision.
The UPS plane, designated as flight 358, was scheduled to fly from Miami to Bogotá, Colombia. Meanwhile, the Copa Airlines aircraft, identified as CM427, had arrived from Panama City.
Greg Chin, Communications Director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, confirmed the crash and noted that two people were treated by the county's Fire and Rescue Department, though there was no need for hospital transport.
Air traffic control recordings captured a pilot exclaiming, "Someone hit us." According to these recordings, the controller had instructed the UPS flight to yield to the Copa aircraft. The UPS crew responded that they had advanced too far, causing the wing of the Boeing 737 to graze their plane. However, neither the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) nor the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have officially determined the causes or responsibilities for the incident.
Following the collision, authorities redirected other planes to alternative taxiways. The airport reported that its operations were not significantly impacted, according to sources.
This accident occurred amidst a broader crisis in U.S. air traffic. On Friday, the FAA halted all national departures due to a communications failure during infrastructure modernization efforts by contractor L3Harris Technologies.
This disruption affected all 22 regional air traffic control centers, lasting over four and a half hours, resulting in more than 6,500 cancellations and nearly 10,000 delays nationwide.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford estimated that airlines would cancel between 4,000 and 5,000 of the approximately 41,000 flights scheduled for Saturday. He also warned that schedules would not return to normal until late Sunday.
At Miami Airport, FlightAware reported 185 cancellations and 190 delays on Saturday night, reflecting the chaos that began the day before.
The airport was also the site of another serious accident in September when a cargo Boeing 767 operated for Amazon Air veered off the runway during landing, resulting in five fatalities.
Despite these accumulated incidents and operational disruptions, Bedford defended the safety of the U.S. air system, asserting that it has multiple layers of backup. "I am very, very confident that the system is operating today with the same safety as it was two weeks ago," he stated.
Understanding the Miami Airport Collision and Broader Air Traffic Issues
What caused the collision between the UPS and Copa Airlines planes?
The collision occurred when the UPS cargo plane advanced too far and was grazed by the wing of the Copa Airlines Boeing 737. The exact causes and responsibilities have not been officially determined by the FAA or NTSB.
How did the collision impact operations at Miami International Airport?
Authorities redirected other aircraft to alternative taxiways, and the airport reported no significant operational disruptions following the incident.
What was the recent nationwide air traffic disruption about?
The FAA halted all national departures due to a communications failure during infrastructure modernization by L3Harris Technologies. This led to over 6,500 cancellations and nearly 10,000 delays across the country.