An Air France Airbus A350 and an American Airlines Airbus A321 came close to one another after departing Los Angeles International Airport, prompting air traffic controllers to intervene. (Foto: Instagram)
Two commercial jets came close to one another shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport early Saturday, Nov. 7. The incident involved an Air France flight bound for French Polynesia and an American Airlines flight headed to Dallas, Texas. Flight-tracking data identified the aircraft as an Air France A350 and an American Airlines A321, departing from parallel runways.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Air France plane made an unauthorized turn after takeoff and entered the path of the American Airlines jet. The incident occurred at about 12:20 a.m. local time. According to Flightradar24, the closest point came at 8:17:59 UTC, when the aircraft were separated horizontally by 0.694 nautical miles, or about 1,285 meters, and vertically by 1,000 feet.
Air traffic controllers, after identifying the risk, immediately instructed the Air France pilot to correct the aircraft’s course. The American Airlines crew was also told to stop climbing and descend to keep the planes apart. Other tracking records cited in published information put the vertical separation at between 90 and 120 meters, a different estimate from the 1,000 feet reported by Flightradar24.
Radio recordings captured controllers warning the French airline’s pilot about the other aircraft’s proximity. After directing the Air France crew to change course, controllers repeatedly asked why the plane had deviated. The pilots requested a short time to respond and later confirmed which takeoff procedure had been assigned. Authorities preliminarily classified the event as a possible pilot procedural deviation, a designation used when there is suspicion that air traffic control instructions may not have been followed.
Both aircraft continued to their destinations, and no injuries or damage were reported. Air France said the crew of flight AF028 received instructions from controllers to adjust its path shortly after takeoff and followed them immediately. The aircraft landed normally in Papeete, French Polynesia, at 5:59 a.m. local time.
The FAA has opened an investigation to determine what led to the change in direction and to clarify the circumstances of the incident. Authorities are expected to examine radio recordings, radar data and information from the aircraft navigation systems. The episode drew attention because other incidents involving aircraft making unexpected route changes during takeoff procedures have also been reported at the Los Angeles airport.
