MIAMI, Nov 15: A UPS cargo aircraft collided with a Copa Airlines passenger plane while taxiing at Miami International Airport on Saturday night, leaving two people with minor injuries, officials said.
The collision occurred at about 9.15 pm local time at the intersection of two taxiways. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began an investigation.
The front section of the Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the front of the UPS Boeing 767 cargo aircraft. The Copa aircraft had arrived from Panama City and was heading towards its assigned gate, while the UPS plane was preparing to depart for Bogota, Colombia.
The FAA said air traffic control had instructed the UPS pilots to give way to the Copa aircraft. However, the two planes collided at the taxiway intersection.
Audio recordings of communications between air traffic control and the pilots emerged after the incident. A Copa pilot reported the collision, while the UPS pilot acknowledged that the aircraft had moved beyond its designated position.
The two injured persons received first aid at the spot and did not require hospitalisation, officials said. The FAA investigation into the cause of the collision was under way.
