The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) involving a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team. The jet, operated by Key Lime Air, was ordered to stop to avoid a potential collision with a departing Delta flight on Friday.
Air traffic controllers instructed Key Lime Air Flight 563 to halt before crossing a runway as a Delta aircraft was taking off. The jet, an Embraer E135, was close to crossing the runway when controllers instructed the pilots to stop. No injuries were reported, and the jet did not cross the runway edge line.
“Air traffic controllers directed Key Lime Air Flight 563 to hold short of crossing a runway because a second aircraft was taking off,” the FAA said in a statement. “When the jet proceeded to cross the hold bars, controllers ordered the pilots to stop. The aircraft did not cross the runway edge line.”
The incident, captured on a plane-spotting livestream, shows an air traffic controller urgently telling the flight crew to “stop, stop, stop.” The plane came to a halt and then proceeded after a brief delay.
The Gonzaga basketball team was in Los Angeles for a game against UCLA on Saturday. Gonzaga, ranked 19th, lost to the 15th-ranked Bruins 65-62 in the first college basketball game at the Intuit Dome, the new venue for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
Gonzaga University responded to the incident, saying, “We understand that the incident at LAX is under investigation and we will review this information as it becomes available. 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.”
Key Lime Air has not yet responded to a request for comment. Los Angeles World Airports referred inquiries to the FAA, while a Delta spokesperson confirmed there were no issues with its flight, saying, “Delta flight 471 operated as normal, and we are not aware of any communication from the FAA regarding this flight. We are cooperating with aviation officials on their investigation.”
