An Air France flight departing from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was forced to abort takeoff due to a sudden runway incursion from another aircraft on Wednesday, April 8.
A potentially serious incident
Air France Flight 25, a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft bound for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), was preparing to take off when the pilot was alerted to the incursion by runway warning lights, according to NBC Los Angeles. The other aircraft involved was a Gulfstream G650ER that had just arrived at Los Angeles after a short flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Reportedly, the Gulfstream passed the hold short line, entered the runway without authorisation and ended up in the path of the Air France flight. The pilot had previously been instructed to hold short on the runway, and this instruction had been acknowledged.
After being informed of the incursion by controllers, the Air France pilot immediately aborted the takeoff. Due to the prompt handling of the situation, no injuries occurred to passengers or crew on either flight. The Air France flight later took off with only a slight delay and reached Paris without further incident.
The aftermath of the aborted takeoff
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now investigating the runway incursion, the cause of which has not yet been identified.
According to Los Angeles Today, in the wake of this near-miss, Los Angeles International Airport has implemented improved safety measures in an aim to prevent future incidents. The airport has increased communication protocols between air traffic control and ground personnel, enhanced surveillance systems for live runway monitoring, and added additional training sessions focused on runway incursion prevention for pilots and ground crew.
What do you think of this incident at LAX? Should better safety protocols have been in place? Share your opinion in the comments.
