Jets Narrowly Avoid Collision After LAX Departure Turn

The close call happened at about 12:20 a.m. on November 7, as the two passenger jets climbed from parallel runways at Los Angeles International Airport. The Air France aircraft turned into the American Airlines plane’s path, prompting air traffic controllers to issue urgent directions to both crews.

A controller told the Air France crew to immediately fly a specified heading and warned the American Airlines pilots that another aircraft was less than a mile away. The American crew acknowledged the warning and followed an altitude restriction. The planes then continued to their destinations, with no injuries reported.

After the immediate risk had passed, the controller questioned the Air France crew about its departure instructions. The pilots said their assigned route was the SUMMR TWO departure procedure. The controller said the event might constitute a potential deviation by the pilot and gave the crew a number to call. The controller further expressed regret to the American Airlines crew and thanked them for following instructions.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s findings are preliminary, and its investigation is ongoing. The FAA said the Air France flight made a turn after takeoff and entered another aircraft’s path. The cause of the turn and whether further action will follow have not been established.