Plane Takes Off While Another is on the Runway: Major Accident Averted at Los Angeles Airport

A potentially disastrous collision was narrowly avoided at Los Angeles International Airport when a plane attempted to take off while another aircraft was still on the runway. The incident, which occurred last Friday, has raised fresh concerns over air safety and is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The close call involved a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team. As the jet, identified as Key Lime Air Flight 563, waited on the runway, another aircraft—a commercial Embraer E135—initiated takeoff. Realizing the imminent danger, an air traffic controller issued an urgent warning, shouting “Stop, stop, stop” to the pilot of the private carrier. The quick action averted a collision, and the Embraer aircraft successfully departed before the private jet was cleared to take off.

The Gonzaga University team members and all others on board breathed a sigh of relief following the incident. FAA officials confirmed that the matter is being thoroughly investigated to determine how the sequence of events unfolded and to prevent future occurrences.