Two planes crash on the tarmac at Miami airport
The nose section of a UPS Boeing 767 aircraft was damaged following a collision with a Copa Airlines jet. Collected photo.
Just one day after a nationwide grounding of flights triggered widespread chaos across the United States, two jets struck each other on the runway at Miami International Airport on Saturday evening.
Two aircraft collided while taxiing at Miami International Airport on Saturday evening, according to authorities. A cargo plane and a commercial passenger jet were involved in the collision, which took place at approximately 9:15 p.m.
Air traffic control audio captured a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 pilot reporting that his aircraft had been struck. A UPS Boeing 767 crew then acknowledged that they had taxied too far, saying the Copa jet clipped its wing.
Officials assured passengers that U.S. airspace was safe and operational after a nationwide ground stop, initiated out of caution, caused massive travel disruptions.
The longest flight stoppage in 25 years lasted more than four hours and ended around 8:15 p.m. ET Friday, allowing some domestic flights to depart from U.S. airports.
Of the 41,000 flights scheduled for Saturday, more than 6,400 had been canceled by Saturday night, according to FlightAware. More than 800 flights scheduled for Sunday were canceled, it said.
Airports of the USA are still working to recover normal schedules after the FAA ordered a countrywide flight freeze on Friday, an ordeal that forced countless stranded travelers to sleep on terminal floors while awaiting rebooked tickets.
(Sources: Gulf Coast News, CNN)
