A Frontier Airlines aircraft came dangerously close to colliding with maintenance trucks on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), according to reporting by The Independent, adding to a series of aviation safety scares in the United States in recent weeks.
The incident required the pilot to brake sharply to avoid a collision with the vehicles on the runway or taxiway. Audio from the encounter indicated the Frontier pilot was visibly shaken by the near-miss, using an expletive while communicating with air traffic control to describe having to slam on the brakes.
A pattern of close calls
The LAX incident comes just weeks after a crash at LaGuardia Airport in New York, an event that has already drawn significant scrutiny to safety protocols at major American airports. The proximity of the two incidents is likely to intensify calls for a review of ground operations and communications between flight crews and control towers.
Aviation safety incidents involving runway or tarmac incursions - where aircraft and ground vehicles or other planes come into unexpected proximity - have been a recurring concern for U.S. regulators. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has faced pressure in recent years to address staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, which some safety advocates argue increases the risk of miscommunication and error.
Investigation expected
Details on the specific circumstances that led the trucks to be in the aircraft's path at LAX, including whether any breakdown in communication between ground crew and the control tower was responsible, had not been fully confirmed at the time of reporting by The Independent.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA typically investigate such incidents to determine contributing factors and whether procedural changes are warranted. It was not immediately clear from available reporting whether a formal investigation had been opened into the LAX close call.
Frontier Airlines had not issued a public statement on the incident as of the time of the report.
The string of recent incidents at major U.S. airports has prompted renewed debate among aviation experts, lawmakers, and the traveling public about the state of American aviation infrastructure and oversight, particularly during a period of high passenger demand and reported strains on air traffic control resources.