An Air France Airbus A350 and an American Airlines Airbus A321 came dangerously close shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, in a LAX near collision that air traffic control flagged as a possible pilot deviation.
The incident happened just after midnight on Saturday, November 7. Air France flight AF28, bound for Papeete in French Polynesia, departed runway 24L at about 12:15 am local time. About a minute later, American Airlines flight AA1660 to Dallas/Fort Worth took off from the parallel runway 25R.
Instead of climbing straight ahead as required by its assigned SUMMR2 departure, the Air France jet turned left towards the American Airlines departure path.
How the LAX Near Collision Unfolded
The controller spotted the conflict and told the Air France crew to “fly heading 270 immediately”, turning the A350 west. The American Airlines crew was warned of traffic less than a mile ahead and told to hold at 2,000 feet, before later being cleared to climb.
Flight-tracking data shows the two jets came within roughly three-quarters of a nautical mile horizontally and only a few hundred feet vertically. Reports so far indicate no collision-avoidance (TCAS) resolution advisory was triggered.
| Air France AF28 | Airbus A350-900, LAX to Papeete, runway 24L |
| American Airlines AA1660 | Airbus A321, LAX to Dallas/Fort Worth, runway 25R |
| Date | November 7, 2026, about 12:15 am local time |
| Closest approach | About 0.76 nm sideways, a few hundred feet vertically (preliminary) |
| Injuries | None; both flights continued normally |
The controller later told the Air France pilots they should have climbed via the published departure rather than turning, and gave them a phone number to report the possible deviation. The American Airlines crew thanked the controller: “Great job, thank you.” Neither airline had commented at the time of writing.
Not the First Wrong Turn at LAX
The LAX near collision follows similar events at the same airport. In October 2025, an ITA Airways A330 turned towards an American Airlines A321 departing from runway 25R, and in October 2026 a TAP Air Portugal A330 also made an unexpected left turn after take-off. LAX’s parallel runways send aircraft out side by side, so any early turn can quickly bring jets into conflict.
What Happens Next
Pilot deviations reported by air traffic control are normally reviewed by the US Federal Aviation Administration, which can examine flight data and crew procedures. Aviation watchers expect questions about whether the wrong departure was loaded into the aircraft’s flight computer, but no official cause has been given.
For official updates, visit the FAA Newsroom website.
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