Air France and American Airlines planes come close at LAX after turn

An Air France plane and an American Airlines jet came close to each other at Los Angeles International Airport early Saturday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and flight tracking data.

What happened

The incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. Saturday. FlightRadar24 data shows the two planes came within about one nautical mile of each other.

The FAA said the Air France flight made an authorized turn after taking off and went into the path of another plane that left from a parallel runway. Air France says the crew received a request from air traffic control to adjust its path shortly after takeoff.

CNN reported that the FAA described the turn as an "unauthorized turn" to the south and identified the flights as Air France Flight 28, an Airbus A350 headed for Tahiti, and American Airlines 1660, an Airbus A321 headed for Dallas. CNN also reported that Flightradar24 showed the aircraft were about 4,000 feet apart and within 1,000 feet of the same altitude at the closest point.

Response

The FAA said its findings are preliminary and the investigation is ongoing. ABC7 said it reached out to American Airlines for comment. CNN said it reached out to Air France and American Airlines for more information.

Why it matters

The close call adds to a series of recent aviation incidents, including close calls at other U.S. airports and a fatal collision over the Potomac River last year.

---

Sources

• abc7.com: Air France flight nearly hits American Airlines plane in LAX close call - ABC7 Los Angeles
• cnn.com: Close call at LAX airport as plane turns in front of another aircraft taking off | CNN

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.