"Somebody Hit Us": Pilot's Chilling Audio After Miami Airport Collision

New Delhi: The US aviation regulator has launched an investigation after a Copa Airlines passenger jet and a UPS cargo aircraft collided on the tarmac at Miami International Airport, leaving two people with minor injuries.The Copa Airlines flight had just landed from Panama City with 166 passengers and six crew members on board. It was taxiing at a normal speed. The UPS aircraft was preparing to take off for Bogota in Colombia.While both airlines pledged cooperation with the aviation regulator FAA inquiry, air traffic control (ATC) audio and preliminary regulator findings indicate a breakdown in ground clearance protocols.Air traffic controllers had explicitly instructed the UPS flight crew to give way to the passing Copa Airlines jet prior to the collision, the FAA said, according to a CNN report."Somebody hit us," the Copa Airlines pilot told the control tower in the ATC audio, just as controllers queried the cargo crew on whether they had made physical contact."Yeah, we went too far, and then he clipped us with the wing," the UPS pilot replied over the radio."It seems that we are missing the left wingtip," the Copa Airlines pilot reported shortly afterward.🚨 PLANES COLLIDE IN MIAMI: A UPS Boeing 767 and a Copa Airlines 737 made contact on the ground at Miami International tonight, according to air traffic control audio. The Copa pilot radios in: "Somebody hit us." Ground control fires back at UPS: "You're supposed to give way to the 73 there... did you hit that aircraft?" UPS: "Yeah, we went too far." Friday the whole country was grounded. Tonight Love Field shut down over a reported bomb threat and two jets traded paint in Miami. What a weekend to fly. https://t.co/s9sz7ACSvE— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) November 15, 2026In an official statement, Copa Airlines said it "regrets the disruption this incident may cause our passengers" and added that the "safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority, and we will cooperate with authorities as they investigate."All 172 people on board the passenger jet were safely disembarked after the aircraft was towed to the gate, the airline said. UPS also confirmed its crew was unharmed, stating that the company is "committed to working with authorities to determine what happened."The tarmac collision occurred just 24 hours after an FAA ground stop on Friday triggered nationwide flight cancellations across the US, leaving stranded travellers sleeping on airport terminal floors while waiting for rebooked flights.