Air France Jet Turns Toward American Airlines Aircraft After Takeoff From LAX in Near-Miss

An Air France Airbus A350-900 turned left after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport shortly after midnight on Saturday, November 7, toward an American Airlines jet climbing from the neighboring runway. Controllers ordered the Air France crew to turn away, and the American crew was told to maintain 2,000 feet. Both flights continued to their destinations, and no injuries or damage were reported.

What Happened

The Air France aircraft was flight AF28, registered F-HUVK, bound for Papeete, Tahiti. It departed from Runway 24L at about 12:15 a.m. local time, according to AeroCorner and Aviation A2Z, and had been cleared to follow the SUMMR TWO standard departure. American Airlines flight AA1660, an Airbus A321 bound for Dallas-Fort Worth, took off from the parallel Runway 25R about a minute later.

Shortly after liftoff, the Air France jet turned left instead of climbing along its assigned route, putting it on a course toward the American aircraft’s departure path. The controller told the Air France crew to fly heading 270 “immediately,” turning the aircraft back west. According to the California Post, the controller also warned the American crew that the other aircraft was less than a mile ahead and told them to maintain 2,000 feet. The American crew complied. 

How Close It Got

Flight-tracking data reported about 0.76 nautical miles horizontally, with vertical separation of roughly 300 to 400 feet. These are tracking estimates and not an official finding. The recorded air traffic control audio gives only “less than a mile,” according to AeroCorner and Aviation A2Z, and the 400-foot figure traces to Simple Flying amongst other sources.

What the Controller Said

After the danger passed, the controller asked the Air France crew why they had turned. The crew first answered “standby,” then confirmed the departure they had been given. AeroCorner and Aviation A2Z reported that the controller told them they had been instructed to climb via the departure procedure, not to turn to a heading.

The controller said a possible pilot deviation would be filed and gave the crew a number to call. This is standard procedure and does not establish fault. The controller also apologized to the American crew, who replied with thanks.

Earlier Deviations From the Same Runway

A few weeks earlier, a TAP Air Portugal A330-900 bound for Lisbon flew toward the wrong first fix after departing Runway 24L, then turned right when told to turn left. On October 31, 2025, an ITA Airways A330-900 bound for Rome turned toward an American jet departing a parallel runway, and the two came within about 0.6 nautical miles at the same altitude.

What Remains Unclear

Air France has not been quoted. Simple Flying said it contacted Air France on Sunday and no spokesperson was immediately available. The cause of the turn has not been established. View from the Wing listed possibilities including a wrong route in the flight computer, a manually selected heading or a cockpit misunderstanding.