An Air France A350 and an American Airlines A321 narrowly avoided a midair collision after departing Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 7, according to the FAA. (Foto: Instagram)
Two commercial jets narrowly avoided a midair collision shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport early Nov. 7. The incident involved an Air France plane bound for French Polynesia and an American Airlines flight headed to Dallas, Texas. Air traffic 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 aircraft made an unauthorized turn after takeoff and entered the path of the American Airlines plane. The incident occurred at about 12:20 a.m. local time. When controllers recognized the risk, they directed the Air France pilot to correct course and told the American Airlines crew to stop climbing and descend to keep the planes apart.
Tracking records differed on how close the aircraft came. Flightradar24 reported that their closest point was 0.694 nautical miles, or 1,285 meters, apart horizontally, with 1,000 feet of vertical separation. Other monitoring records cited in published reports placed the vertical distance at 90 to 120 meters. The figures reflect varying records of the encounter; both aircraft continued their flights.
Audio of communications between controllers and the crews captured officials warning the Air France pilot about the other aircraft’s proximity. After instructing the crew to change course, controllers repeatedly asked why the plane had deviated. The pilots requested a few moments to respond and later confirmed the departure procedure they had been assigned. Authorities preliminarily classified the incident as a possible pilot deviation, a term used when there is a suspicion that air traffic control instructions may not have been followed.
Air France said the crew of flight AF028 received instructions from controllers to adjust its path soon after takeoff and complied immediately. The plane landed normally in Papeete, French Polynesia, at 5:59 a.m. local time. No injuries or aircraft damage were reported, and the American Airlines flight also continued to its destination.
The FAA has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the event and the cause of the change in direction. Authorities are expected to review radio recordings, radar data and information from the aircraft navigation systems. The incident drew attention because it followed other reported cases at the Los Angeles airport involving aircraft that allegedly made unexpected route changes during takeoff procedures.
