PANAMA · AVIATION
A Panamanian passenger jet and an American cargo plane touched on a Miami taxiway on Saturday night, one day after the United States grounded every takeoff. A Copa Airlines Boeing 737 clipped a Boeing 767 of UPS, the US parcel carrier, at Miami International Airport at about 9 p.m. Eastern time on 14 November 2026, and two people had minor injuries.
Copa is a Panama-based airline. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the national aviation regulator, has opened an investigation.
Key Facts
- Collision A Copa 737 wingtip hit a UPS cargo jet’s nose on a Miami taxiway on Saturday 14 November, about 9 p.m. ET.
- Injuries Two people had minor injuries, treated at the scene by the county fire service; neither needed hospital transport.
- Cause The FAA says controllers told the UPS crew to yield to Copa. The agency is investigating.
- Open The FAA has not said why the UPS jet and the Copa jet made contact despite the order to yield, or how badly the jets are damaged.
A Wing Meets a Nose at the Intersection
Copa flight CM427 had just arrived from Panama City with 166 passengers and six crew, and was taxiing to its gate. The UPS flight, a cargo jet numbered 358, was taxiing toward the runway for a departure to Bogotá, Colombia.
The FAA said the 737’s wingtip struck the nose of the 767 while both aircraft were moving. Copa said its jet’s left wingtip was involved.
Air traffic control recordings capture the moment. The Copa pilot radioed: “Somebody just hit us.”
The controller asked the UPS crew whether they had hit the other aircraft, and a UPS pilot acknowledged that the cargo jet had gone too far. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the county fire service, treated two people for minor injuries at the scene.
The Miami-Dade Aviation Department, which runs the airport, said other flights were sent to different taxiways and operations were not affected.
Why the Controllers’ Order Matters
The FAA said air traffic controllers had told the UPS crew to give way to the arriving Copa flight. The agency has drawn no conclusion.
UPS said it was aware of an incident involving one of its aircraft on the ground in Miami, and that its crew was safe. Copa said its crew was safe and that it would work with the authorities.
The Timing Is Awkward for US Aviation
The collision came a day after the FAA halted all US takeoffs on Friday 13 November, from about 3:54 p.m. to about 8:15 p.m. Eastern, as we reported on the Copa travel disruption. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the cabinet official who oversees aviation, blamed overloaded routers in the FAA’s ageing systems for that outage.
Officials have not linked the taxiway contact to Friday’s outage. Delays from the stop were still expected to ripple through the weekend.
Copa had already offered a fee-free waiver for travel on 13 and 14 November on routes to and from the United States, excluding Puerto Rico. That waiver, as announced, covers those two travel dates, and we have not seen a statement extending it to the collision.
What It Means for US Readers
Travellers booked on Copa between the United States and Panama or South America should check their flights on Sunday, as recovery from Friday’s stop is still under way. Our guide to airline fee waivers lists the rules for rebooking.
What Is Not Known
The FAA has not said why the contact happened despite the instruction to yield. It has not detailed the damage to either aircraft, or said whether the National Transportation Safety Board, the US agency that investigates transport accidents, will join the inquiry.
We will update this report as the FAA releases findings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was anyone seriously hurt in the Miami collision?
No. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue treated two people for minor injuries at the scene, and neither needed hospital transport. All 166 passengers left the Copa jet at the terminal.
Who was at fault in the Copa and UPS collision?
The FAA has not assigned blame and has opened an investigation. It said controllers told the UPS crew to give way to the Copa flight.
Published Sunday, 15 November, 10:45 a.m. ET · Source: Federal Aviation Administration; Miami-Dade Aviation Department; Miami-Dade Fire Rescue; Copa Airlines; UPS; US Department of Transportation
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