Two packed passenger jets reportedly came within five seconds of crashing midair in Los Angeles last week after a pilot ignored instructions during take-off.
A catastrophic accident was avoided thanks to an air traffic controller who managed to alert pilots, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The incident unfolded on Friday afternoon at LAX when an Ita Airways flight, which was headed for Rome, was cleared for take-off from runway 24 and was instructed to take a left by an air traffic controller.
Immediately after, an American Airlines jet bound for JFK Airport in New York was also told they were in the clear, and departed from runway 25, with the pilot told to take a right after takeoff, according to data collected by flight traffic sites, Corriere reported.
The pilots onboard flights ITA AZ621 and American AA4 had reportedly been given specific instructions by air traffic control to ensure the necessary airspace between them.
But despite the commands given to the Ita Airways flight, just two minutes after taking off, its pilot turned left before the agreed-upon coordinates, resulting in it coming dangerously close to the American Airlines Airbus A321.
The minimum separation between the planes, which were traveling at between 350 and 400 kilometres per hour, was approximately 920 metres, while their vertical separation was just 15 metres, meaning they were within five or six seconds from disaster.
Air traffic controllers spotted the danger immediately, firmly telling the Ita Airways pilot to ‘turn right immediately’, while the American Airlines plane was told to abort its climb at 1,500ft.
After both pilots complied, air traffic control contacted the Italian plane and berated the pilot.
An Ita Airways and an American Airlines plane came within five seconds of crashing midair in Los Angeles last week after coming too close to each other during take off. File photo shows a plane over a runway at Los Angeles Airport
‘You were supposed to maintain runway alignment. Is there a reason it turned south?’, the pilot was told, according to air traffic control recordings.
Meanwhile, the Italian pilot made a grovelling apology, telling air traffic control ‘sorry’.
The controller then told the American Airlines crew: ‘Sorry for what happened. The traffic to the north turned south on its own initiative, right in front of you guys.’
The two flights continued their journey without any issues.
According to the US civil aviation regulations, after such an event, the crew must contact the local Federal Aviation Administration agency to provide an investigation for what happened.
A spokesperson for Ita Airways told Daily Mail: ‘The company is completing the assessments required by applicable regulations and internal procedures.
‘It is confirmed that the flight operated regularly, landing ahead of schedule at Rome Fiumicino. Ita Airways confirms that the safety of its passengers and crews is the Company’s top priority’.
The near-miss comes after a UPS cargo plane crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Kentucky’s Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, killing 11 people.
Despite instructions given to the Ita Airways flight, its pilot turned left before the agreed-upon coordinates, resulting in it coming dangerously close to the American Airlines Airbus A321
The incident happened after both planes took off from LA’s LAX airport
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane exploded shortly after taking off, with officials confirming that the engine had detached from the aircraft.
The plane was 34 years old and its fuel tank had been repaired in September, according to flight records.
Dramatic images which emerged online in the aftermath of the tragedy showed a fireball explosion, and what appeared to be the engine on the runway.
A terrifying video shared to social media showed the aircraft attempting to take off with a ball of fire emanating from its left wing. Just moments later, the plane exploded.
Dashcam footage also showed the plane crashing back into the runway, leaving a blaze in its wake.
It struck two local businesses – Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Autoparts, which Governor Beshear said accounted for all of its employees except for two, who were found later on.
There were three crew members onboard the flight at the time, UPS officials have confirmed.
Four of the people killed were on the ground, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said. The victims have not been identified.
It is unclear whether the additional fatalities were members of the crew or people on the ground.
The Louisville airport shut down after the crash but began to resume operations Wednesday morning.
Flights cancelled Tuesday were prioritized for departure, although some Wednesday flights remained grounded.
