Two passenger aircraft narrowly avoided a potential midair collision shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the early hours of Saturday, 7 November.
Image used for illustrative purposes/By: Lukas Wunderlich/Getty Images
The incident involved Air France Flight 28, travelling from Los Angeles to Papeete in French Polynesia, and an American Airlines flight bound for Dallas-Fort Worth. The two aircraft departed from parallel runways at approximately 12:20 am local time.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Air France aircraft made an unauthorised turn shortly after take-off, entering the flight path of the American Airlines plane.
Air traffic controllers quickly intervened, issuing corrective instructions to the Air France crew and warning the American Airlines pilots that another aircraft was less than a mile away. The American Airlines flight was instructed to maintain an altitude of 2,000 feet while the situation was managed.
Video: Air France A350 and American Airlines A321 in Reported Close Call After Los Angeles Takeoff https://t.co/x1tdgpTzeV https://t.co/l4eCgRbjdE
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Air traffic controllers question Air France crew
Recordings of the air traffic control communications reveal the tense exchange between controllers and the Air France pilots following the incident.
Controllers questioned why the aircraft had deviated from its assigned departure route. When asked which flight procedure they had been following, one pilot responded: “Give me a minute.”
The crew subsequently confirmed that they had been instructed to follow the SUMMR TWO departure procedure, a pre-planned route used by aircraft leaving the airport.
Both flights continue safely
Air France confirmed that its crew received instructions from air traffic control to adjust the aircraft’s flight path shortly after departure and immediately complied.
The aircraft continued its journey to Papeete, landing safely at 5:59 am local time. No injuries were reported following the incident.
The FAA’s statement confirmed that air traffic controllers had issued immediate corrective instructions after the Air France aircraft entered the path of the departing American Airlines flight.
Source: People Magazine
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