Two aircraft collided while taxiing at Miami International Airport on Saturday, November 14, with air traffic control audio capturing the moment the incident unfolded.
The collision involved a UPS flight and a Copa Airlines aircraft that had just landed in Florida. In recordings from Air Traffic Control, the pilot of the commercial aircraft can be heard saying: "Somebody hit us."
Controller instructs UPS flight to give way
From the Air Traffic Control Centre, the operator says: "UPS 358 you're supposed to give way to the 73 there."
"Copy," comes the reply. "358 Roger, we're running checklist, runway change." The air traffic controller is then heard asking: "UPS 358 did you hit that aircraft?"
"Yeah we went too far and then he, he clipped us with the wing." The response from traffic control was: "Roger, hold position."
Passengers report back pain after 'minor' collision
According to Flightaware, the aircraft had only just touched down having arrived from Panama City prior to the incident.
Fox Sports presenter Andy Slater posted on Twitter: "JUST NOW: UPS Boeing 767 hit a Copa Airlines 737 while taxiing at Miami International Airport. Fire trucks are responding."
He subsequently added: "Copa's pilot says only two passengers are complaining about back pain. One fire department source told me the collision is 'minor'."
Both UPS and Miami Airport have been approached for additional comment regarding the incident.
Context of nationwide ground stop
This follows airlines scrapping thousands of flights across the United States on Saturday as they struggled to recover from the lengthiest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.
Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), acknowledged that airlines "will still have delays and cancellations" but gave assurances that the "worst is behind us".
Trump administration officials revealed that newly installed technology being integrated into the country's air traffic control system overwhelmed outdated equipment, triggering "intermittent" communications and radar blackouts that resulted in a ground stop lasting more than four hours on Friday.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy disclosed that a contractor had been in the process of swapping out a section of the system's ageing copper wire for new fibre wire, and that this work had somehow triggered the system overload. Mr Duffy confirmed that officials were looking into whether contractor "incompetence" or a defective router was responsible for the failure.
"Our contractor didn't meet the moment," Mr Duffy said.
