Air France and American Airlines planes nearly collide after taking off from LAX

On the early morning of November 7, a near midair collision occurred at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) between an Air France jet and an American Airlines plane. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), both aircraft managed to reach their destinations safely after the incident.

The Air France A350-900, en route to Papeete, Tahiti, took off from runway 24L while the American Airlines A321-200, headed to Dallas, departed from adjacent runway 25R. The Air France aircraft reportedly veered off its assigned departure route, a move that triggered immediate action from air traffic control.

Audio recordings from LAX reveal that controllers directed the Air France crew to turn right and return to their original path, while instructing the American Airlines flight to reduce altitude to avoid a potential collision. The controller later apologized to the American Airlines crew, stating that the Air France aircraft had turned in front of them, confusing their departure instructions.

The closest point between the two aircraft was recorded at 08:17:59 UTC, with a lateral separation of just 0.694 nautical miles (1,285 meters) and a vertical separation of 1,000 feet. However, some flight tracking data suggests a vertical gap of approximately 400 feet. Regardless of the exact figures, the FAA has launched an investigation into the near miss, emphasizing the safety measures put in place to prevent such incidents.