Copa Airlines jet and UPS cargo plane collide on Miami International Airport taxiway

A Copa Airlines Boeing 737 and a UPS Boeing 767 collided at the intersection of two taxiways at Miami International Airport on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The collision occurred at approximately 9:15 p.m. while both aircraft were taxiing. The wingtip of the Copa Airlines Boeing 737 struck the nose of the UPS Boeing 767 during the encounter.

The Copa Airlines flight was arriving from Panama City and taxiing toward its gate when the incident occurred. Simultaneously, UPS Flight 358 was taxiing for departure to Bogota, Colombia. According to air traffic controllers, the crew of the UPS aircraft had previously received instructions to give way to the Copa Airlines flight.

The UPS pilot admitted that the aircraft went too far and was clipped by a wing. The Copa Airlines pilot reported that someone hit the aircraft. UPS stated that the crew is safe and the company is committed to working with authorities regarding the incident.

Emergency response and injuries

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel treated two people for minor injuries at the scene. These individuals did not require medical transport to a hospital. While the collision was described as minor by a fire department source, the impact involved two large commercial aircraft.

Miami International Airport officials directed flights to use other taxiways to avoid impacting airport operations following the collision. The airport management sought to maintain traffic flow while emergency responders managed the scene at the taxiway intersection.

Federal investigation and context

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision. This investigation will determine the exact cause of the contact between the Boeing 737 and the Boeing 767.

The incident occurred one day after a nationwide aviation ground stop caused by telecommunications equipment issues on Friday, November 13, 2026. This ground stop resulted from communications failures during air traffic control equipment upgrades.

The collision at Miami International Airport follows a previous major accident at the same location. Approximately two months prior to this incident, an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway at Miami International Airport, which resulted in five deaths.

Glossary

• Miami-Dade Fire Rescue — Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Miami-Dade County, Florida. The department serves 29 municipalities and all unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County from 60 fire stations.
• taxiways — Taxiways are airport infrastructure elements. They are mentioned in the context of airport development and handling aircraft.