Miami Airport Collision: Two Planes Crash on Tarmac Amid Nationwide Flight Chaos

A collision involving a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 and a UPS cargo plane at Miami International Airport resulted in two injuries. This incident occurred amidst ongoing flight disruptions caused by a nationwide ground stop due to FAA communication issues. With thousands of flights canceled or delayed, the aviation industry is struggling to return to normal operations. The FAA is working to resolve the technical problems, while the situation has prompted emergency meetings at the White House to assess the crisis. Read on for more details about the incident and its implications for air travel.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 15, 2026, 15:49 IST

Incident Overview

In a troubling incident at Miami International Airport on Saturday, two individuals sustained injuries when a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 collided with a UPS Boeing 767 on the tarmac. This occurred just a day after a nationwide ground stop led to significant travel disruptions, leaving countless passengers stranded.

The collision happened around 9:15 p.m. local time as the Copa Airlines aircraft, which was transporting 166 passengers and six crew members from Panama City, struck the nose of the cargo plane while both were taxiing.

Copa Airlines confirmed that two people were hurt in the incident, stating, "The aircraft is at the terminal and all passengers have disembarked. Two of them received attention from airport paramedics for what, preliminarily, appear to be minor injuries."

The airline reassured that the remaining passengers and crew were in good health and expressed regret for any distress caused, emphasizing their commitment to safety and cooperation with ongoing investigations.

As a result of the earlier FAA communication system issues, air travel disruptions are anticipated to continue into Sunday, with airlines grappling to restore normal operations.

FAA chief Bryan Bedford indicated that flight schedules might not stabilize until late Sunday, despite ongoing efforts to rectify the technical issues that led to the chaos.

Flight tracking service FlightAware reported that by Saturday evening, over 6,150 flights had been canceled and more than 7,300 delayed across the U.S.

This disruption followed a particularly severe day on Friday, which saw around 9,200 flights canceled and an additional 7,500 delayed. By Saturday evening, over 530 flights scheduled for Sunday had also been scrapped.

Bedford extended apologies to affected travelers, assuring them of the stability of the aviation system and the FAA's commitment to restoring normalcy by late Sunday.

The ongoing crisis has left many passengers stranded at various airports, while airlines face the daunting task of repositioning aircraft and crew to resume regular services.

The turmoil began on Friday when the FAA implemented a nationwide ground stop, halting nearly all departing flights for close to five hours.

This unprecedented situation prompted an emergency meeting at the White House, where officials convened to evaluate the circumstances and potential causes.

Initially, there were concerns about a possible cyberattack being responsible for the aviation system's failure. However, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later clarified that the issue stemmed from the installation of a new router by FAA contractor L3Harris at a remote site.