The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a runway close call involving a charter flight and a Delta plane at LAX.
The runway incursion happened as an Embraer E135 charter jet carrying the Spokane based Gonzaga University Men’s Basketball team edged too far to a runway where the Delta Air Lines departure was taking off.
Asked to hold before the runway, the charter flight went too far and the air traffic control told them it to ‘stop, stop, stop.’
The charter was operated by Denver-based Key Lime Air.
“Air traffic controllers directed Key Lime Air Flight 563 to hold short of crossing a runway at Los Angeles International Airport because a second aircraft was taking off,” an FAA spokesperson said.
“When the Embraer E135 jet proceeded to cross the hold bars, air traffic controllers told the pilots to stop. The jet never crossed the runway edge line,” the spokesperson added.
“We are working within our own safety management system and the FAA to determine the facts of the event and will respond accordingly, said Jon Coleman, SVP of Key Lime Air.
The Delta Air Lines’ flight to Atlanta took off normally without incident.
