The charter plane carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team narrowly avoided a collision with a departing Delta plane in a heart-stopping incident at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Friday.
The near-miss event has sparked an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and brought aviation safety back into the spotlight, especially when combined with the recent South Korean tragedy.
Fresh from their campus in Spokane, Washington, the Gonzaga team had just landed at LAX in preparation for their matchup against UCLA. Their chartered Embraer E135 jet, operated by Key Lime Air, was taxiing across the runway when Delta Flight 471 was about to take off.
A video capturing the moment shows an air traffic controller urgently calling for the pilot to “Stop, stop, stop!” as the charter plane was about to cross the path of the Delta jet bound for Atlanta.
A collision was narrowly averted.
The Gonzaga basketball team (in the smaller jet) almost got wiped out by a commercial airliner? Good Lord!!👇 pic.twitter.com/FelCCl6cMu
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) December 31, 2024
Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Plane Just Missed A Collision
The FAA has launched a thorough investigation to understand how this near-collision occurred.
The agency will review air traffic control communications, the actions of both pilots involved, and the overall safety protocols at LAX, especially during high-volume holiday seasons.
This incident comes at a time when aviation safety is under scrutiny, with near-misses at various airports gaining attention in recent years under the purview of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Gonzaga’s men’s basketball team, following the plane incident, would go on to lose to the 22nd-ranked UCLA Bruins, 65-62.
The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 9-4 on the season. They would come back and defeat Pepperdine three days later. Gonzaga is currently ranked 19th in the country.
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Players Were Unaware Of The Gravity Of The Situation
Gonzaga University acknowledged the plane incident involving their men’s basketball team, expressing gratitude that the situation ended without harm.
Players and staff on the charter plane were unaware that they were feet away from being struck by another plane traveling upward of 150 mph.
“Our team members aboard the aircraft were unaware of the situation as it occurred, and we are grateful that the incident ended safely for all,” a university spokesperson stated.
A ‘plane spotter’ who uploaded the near-disaster video was shocked by what he had witnessed.
“In the years I’ve been doing this, I’ve never heard an ATC controller tell a plane to ‘Stop, stop, stop,’” he said on the uploaded clip.
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