Hundreds of Passengers Evacuated When Two Planes Touch at Miami Airport

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 24, 2013

Aerolinas Argentinas Airlines flight #1304 had just arrived at Miami International Airport from Buenos Aires and was on the taxiway heading to its arrival gate when one of its wings clipped the rear of Air France flight #695 that was boarding to take off for Paris. The incident occurred on Jan. 17 around 5:45 p.m. Fortunately, no one on board either aircraft was hurt in the incident, but MIA officials expected a full Federal Aviation Administration investigation to determine how it happened. There were 240 on board the Aerolinas Argentinas flight and an unknown number of passengers on the Air France flight when the incident occurred.

One passenger on the Aerolinas flight told local media that the sound of the planes colliding sent a wave of fear through the passenger compartment.

"A big noise! And the plane shook," passenger Veronica Ramundo said.

The Air France flight was nearly half-full when the incident occurred, and passengers on board said that the collision made the whole aircraft shake.

Passenger Joras Lopez was aboard the Air France flight when the other aircraft struck it.

"The captain said that we were hit by another plane," Lopez told reporters.

The Air France flight crew quickly evacuated everyone aboard and got them back into the terminal without further incident. However, the 240 passengers aboard flight #1304 were stuck on the plane for hours as officials assessed the situation and made sure it was safe to evacuate the aircraft.

Both aircraft were grounded pending the FAA investigation.

The incident was the second near miss in as many weeks in South Florida airports. On New Year’s Eve, the wing of a Spirit Airlines plane clipped the tail of a U.S. Airways jet at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.

We have come to regard plane travel as a very safe way to travel, and many years of safety records and statistics support this position. However, incidents like these show just how quickly routine parts of air travel can go terribly wrong. If you or a member of your immediate family has been injured in an aviation accident, you may be entitled to compensation. For more information about your rights and legal options, it’s a very good idea to speak with an Orlando aviation accident attorney such as James O. Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham has helped injured people since 1977 and is one of the most experienced Orlando personal injury lawyers around. If you would like to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case, call him today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.