An Air France Airbus A350 and an American Airlines Airbus A321 came within a short distance of each other after departing Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) shortly after midnight on November 7. The two aircraft took off from separate runways about a minute apart. According to air traffic control communications, the A350 made an early left turn that put it on a converging path with the A321.
Controllers issued urgent instructions to both crews and restored separation. Both flights continued to their destinations, and no injuries or damage were reported.
AF28 · A350-900
Los Angeles → Papeete
AA1660 · A321
Los Angeles → Dallas/Fort Worth
~0.76 NM
Closest Lateral Distance (Tracking Data)
~300–400 ft
Vertical Gap, Estimates Vary
How It Unfolded
- ~12:15 a.m.Air France AF28 took off from Runway 24L, cleared to fly the SUMMR2 departure.
- ~1 min laterAmerican Airlines AA1660 followed from Runway 25R.
- Early turnThe A350 reportedly made an early left turn instead of following its assigned route, moving toward the climbing A321.
- ATC instructionsAir France was instructed to turn immediately to heading 270. The American crew received a traffic alert for an aircraft at 12 o’clock, less than a mile away, and was told to maintain 2,000 feet.
- AfterwardThe A350 was cleared toward the DART waypoint to resume its departure. AA1660 was later cleared to climb to 17,000 feet.
Controller Flags Possible Pilot Deviation
After separation was restored, the controller asked the Air France crew why the aircraft had turned and which departure procedure they had been assigned. The crew confirmed that it had been cleared for the SUMMR2 departure.
The controller then advised the crew of a possible pilot deviation and provided a telephone number for follow-up. In the United States, this notice opens a review of the event. It does not constitute a finding of fault.
What Is a SID?
A Standard Instrument Departure is a published procedure that sets an aircraft’s route after takeoff, including headings, turn points and altitude restrictions. At airports with several parallel runways, such as LAX, these procedures help keep departing aircraft safely separated.
How Close Did They Get?
Flight-tracking data cited in early reports placed the aircraft about 0.76 nautical miles apart laterally. Estimates of the vertical separation vary, from about 301 feet in one analysis to roughly 400 feet in other reports. None of these figures comes from an official investigation.
The Open Question
The reason for the A350’s early turn has not been established. Neither Air France nor aviation authorities had published an explanation at the time of reporting. The incident highlights how closely departing aircraft depend on assigned procedures at busy airports with parallel runways, where even a brief deviation can create a traffic conflict.
