NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DCA13LA039
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
LV-BMT flight crew's incorrect evaluation of the clearance between the two aircraft, leading to the inadvertent collision of the left winglet with the horizontal stabilizer and elevator of F-GNZI. Contributing to the accident were the incorrect instructions given by the Miami Gates controller to the LV-BMT flight crew.
Factual narrative
On January 17, 2013, about 1742 eastern standard time, Air France flight 695, a Boeing B777-300, F-GNZI, was parked at the gate and in the process of boarding passengers at the Miami International Airport (KMIA), Miami, Florida, when the left winglet of taxiing Aerolineas Argentinas flight 1304, an Airbus 340-300, LV-BMT, struck its right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The elevator of F-GNZI was substantially damaged and LV-BMT sustained minor damage. There were no reported injuries on either aircraft. Both aircraft were being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129. After arriving from Ministro Pistarini International Airport (SAEZ), Buenos Aires, Argentina, LV-BMT was directed by Miami ground control to taxi to the passenger terminal via taxiway Q. According to recorded data, LV-BMT was directed to spot 14W and cleared to gate H8A by Miami-Dade Aviation Department Aircraft Gate Control (Miami Gates). About 3 minutes later, the Miami Gates controller attempted to contact LV-BMT three times but used the incorrect flight number. On the third attempt, the crew of LV-BMT responded and were told they were "on the wrong line." The crew responded "14 Whiskey" but did not stop their taxi. While taxiing from spot 14W the left winglet of LV-BMT struck F-GNZI, which was parked at gate H10. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- F Personnel issues-Task performance-Communication (personnel)-Accuracy of communication-Other/unknown - F
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot of other aircraft - C
- F Personnel issues-Task performance-Communication (personnel)-Accuracy of communication-Other/unknown - F
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2013_DCA13LA039.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.