Casualties unknown

B-747 and MD-11 Collide on Taxiway After Runway Crossing (PPSPE)

Miami, FL, US

On January 23, 1996, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 (registration PPSPE) operated by Viacao Aerea Sao Paulo SA was involved in an aviation accident near Miami, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The local and ground controllers' failure to adequately coordinate the movement of the two airplanes, the tower cab supervisor's failure to provide adequate supervision to the controllers, the MD-11 flightcrew's misinterpretation of the local controller's… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A B-747 crossing Runway 12 collided with an MD-11 on taxiway after miscommunication; wingtips and landing gear damaged.

Incident Overview

A ground controller had coordinated with a local controller and cleared a B-747 to cross Runway 12 via Taxiway V. Meanwhile, an MD-11 had landed on Runway 9R and was in contact with the local controller while holding short of Runway 12 at Taxiways V and S.

Sequence of Events

The flightcrew of the B-747 reported to the ground controller that the MD-11 was in the way on the opposite side of the runway. The ground controller did not acknowledge this and again cleared the B-747 to cross the runway. The B-747 crossed the runway and stopped short of the MD-11. The tail of the B-747 was still over the edge of Runway 12.

The local controller asked the MD-11 if they could make a right turn onto Taxiway S. The flightcrew of the MD-11 acknowledged this as a clearance and began a right turn. The captain of the B-747 saw the MD-11 begin to move and transmitted on the ground control frequency for the pilot to stop. The MD-11 was on the local control frequency. The captain of the MD-11 pulled the aircraft to the far right side of the taxiway, and the right main landing gear collided with two taxiway lights. The left wingtip of the MD-11 struck the nose of the B-747.

As this occurred, the ground controller asked the B-747 to pull up because the tail was obstructing Runway 12 and there was traffic landing. As the B-747 pulled forward, the left wingtip of the MD-11 collided with the left wing of the B-747.

Subsequent Traffic

The landing traffic had included a 'heavy' aircraft, which had landed while the B-747 was not completely clear of the runway (all parts of the airplane had not crossed the holding line).

Communication and Coordination

The incident involved communication between the ground controller, local controller, and flightcrews of both aircraft. The B-747 was on ground frequency, while the MD-11 was on local frequency during the critical moments.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X05170. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.