The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Air France pilots turn wrong way, two passenger jets nearly collide over Los Angeles
Air France and American Airlines jets took off a minute apart from parallel LAX runways; after AF28 veered off its assigned departure, a controller ordered an immediate turn and halted AA1660’s climb as the planes closed to under a mile
Two passenger jets narrowly avoided a collision over Los Angeles after an Air France departure turned off its assigned route and into the path of an American Airlines flight that had just taken off from a parallel runway.
Air France Flight AF28, an Airbus A350-900, departed Los Angeles International Airport on Runway 24L for Papeete, Tahiti. Moments after takeoff, the crew reportedly left the planned SUMMR2 departure path and began turning toward the path of American Airlines Flight AA1660, which had departed Runway 25R for Dallas-Fort Worth.
Air traffic control intervened, directing the Air France aircraft to fly heading 270 immediately and issuing a traffic alert to the American flight, which was instructed to maintain 2,000 feet. The American crew descended to that altitude, while the Air France aircraft turned away from the potential conflict.
Tracking data indicate the two aircraft came within less than a mile of each other at one point, with vertical separation estimated between about 300 and 400 feet during the closest moments. No injuries or aircraft damage were reported, and both flights continued to their destinations.
Investigators have not publicly released official findings explaining why the Air France crew departed from their assigned route. The incident follows two prior departures from the same Los Angeles runway area that also involved near-middling separation, prompting renewed attention to departure procedures at LAX.