MIAMI, United States: A Copa Airlines passenger jet and a UPS aircraft collided while taxiing at Miami International Airport, just weeks after a fatal cargo-plane crash highlighted concerns about air traffic control at the hub.
The wingtip of the Copa jet clipped the nose of the UPS Boeing 767 plane after the cargo aircraft moved into its path, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and audio between air traffic controllers and pilots. Controllers had told the UPS crew, bound for Bogota, to give way to the Copa Boeing 737 as it taxied to its gate, the FAA said.
"We went too far and then he clipped us with the wing," the UPS pilot said in response to a question by the controller if it had hit Copa flight 427. The FAA said it's investigating the collision, which occurred around 9pm local time.
Copa said its plane from Panama City was carrying 166 passengers and six crew and paramedics evaluated two passengers for apparent minor injuries. UPS said its crew is safe. Both said they will work with authorities in the investigation.
In September, an Amazon.com Inc. cargo plane overran a runway at the Miami airport, killing five people on the ground. A preliminary investigation report found an air traffic controller gave the aircraft clearance to land but didn't provide it with wind information prior to it crashing. FAA procedures require controllers to provide wind direction and velocity when a tailwind exists.
As a major international cargo gateway, Miami is the busiest airport for total freight in the United States, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.
The accident on Saturday also occurred a day after a technical failure triggered the longest nationwide grounding in more than two decades. It was blamed on a data overload that crippled air traffic control communications and radar.
More than 6,600 flights into, out of and especially within the United States were cancelled and another 8,350 trips were delayed Saturday, according to aviation data firm FlightAware. For Sunday, another 1,100 flights have been cancelled and over 600 delayed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he will formally ask Congress on Monday to authorise US$50bil in emergency funding to overhaul the US air traffic control system. – Bloomberg
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