American Airlines flight pilots were told to make an “expedited climb” to avoid crashing into Hawaii mountains on Wednesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
An air traffic controller instructed Flight 298, heading toward Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday, to “perform an expedited climb after the crew did not make the assigned turn while departing from” Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, also known as Honolulu International Airport, an FAA spokesperson said.
The maneuver occurred around 1 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
“The controller’s actions ensured the aircraft remained safely above nearby terrain," the agency’s spokesperson said in a statement. The FAA is investigating the incident.
The American Airlines flight departed the Honolulu International Airport before 1 a.m. local time on Wednesday and landed at Los Angeles International Airport just over 5 hours later, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.
“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,” American Airlines said in a statement to NBC News. “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,”
Back in April of this year, a union, that represents 15,000 American Airlines pilots, said there was a “significant spike” in safety problems at the airline.
The safety committee of the Allied Pilots Association (APA) said in a memo it “has been tracking a significant spike in safety- and maintenance-related problems in our operation.”
“Remember: Don’t rush, don’t be intimidated, and don’t be pressured into doing something that doesn’t pass the ‘smell test.’ Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it safe,” the memo said. “Be mindful of the hazards while operating on the ramps and taxiways in congested airports staffed with inexperienced controllers and ground personnel.”
The Hill has reached out to American Airlines for comment.
