When travelers say they hope to reach their destination in one piece, they sometimes mean it literally. An American Airlines flight departing Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Wednesday performed “an expedited climb” to avoid colliding with a mountain. During the incident, the Airbus A321neo’s proximity warning didn’t sound and air traffic control ordered the flight crew to take avoiding action.
American Airlines Flight 298 was just starting a five-hour voyage across the Pacific Ocean to LAX when the pilots missed an assigned turn and headed directly toward mountainous terrain. The Airbus was flying roughly 200 feet beneath the height of the tallest peak in the area, Simple Flying reports.
Thankfully, an air traffic controller stepped in to direct the pilots away from the mountains. Everyone onboard safely reached Los Angeles and the passengers likely had no idea that anything of note happened. The FAA released a statement reading:
“An air traffic controller instructed American Airlines Flight 298 to perform an expedited climb after the crew did not make the assigned turn while departing from Honolulu International Airport. The controller’s actions ensured the aircraft remained safely above nearby terrain. The Airbus A321neo was flying to Los Angeles International Airport. The FAA is investigating the event, which occurred around 1 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Nov. 13.”
American Airlines released a statement of its own after the incident:
“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority. During the climb out of Honolulu on November 13, the crew of American Airlines flight 298 requested and received right-turn clearance and complied with controller instructions. There was no Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) alert as there were no issues with terrain clearance based on the trajectory of the aircraft.”
Typically, airline flight crews struggle to keep their planes from plunging into the Pacific Ocean while flying around Hawaii. A Southwest Airlines flight in April came within 150 feet of hitting the water. The carrier stated this happened after the crew aborted a landing due to poor weather conditions. However, the first officer inadvertently pushed the control column forward.