A recent incident involving a Frontier Airlines jet at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has raised concerns regarding aviation safety. The aircraft narrowly avoided a collision with two service trucks that unexpectedly crossed its path on a taxiway while the plane was moving slowly. Fortunately, the incident occurred without injury, in stark contrast to a more tragic event at LaGuardia Airport last month.
On Wednesday night, the Frontier Airlines pilot was compelled to apply the brakes abruptly to avert a potential disaster. “It was real close. The closest I have ever seen,” he communicated to air traffic control, as captured in audio footage shared by ATC.com. The incident occurred at approximately 11:25 PM, when several vehicles crossed in front of the taxiing aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. In a statement, Frontier Airlines expressed gratitude for the crew’s vigilance and professionalism during the event, highlighting the importance of situational awareness in aviation operations.
The recent near-miss at LAX echoes a tragic accident on March 22, when an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport. This collision resulted in the deaths of both pilots and injuries to multiple passengers. Investigations revealed that an air traffic controller had cleared the fire truck to cross the runway just moments before the collision occurred, leading to heightened scrutiny of communication protocols in airport operations.
In the case of the LAX incident, the area involved typically requires planes to communicate their movements to air traffic controllers, while ground vehicles are expected to yield to taxiing aircraft. Notably, planes usually operate at relatively low speeds of around 15 mph (24 kph) in these areas. However, airport officials have yet to clarify what specific procedures were in place to prevent such collisions.
Steve Arroyo, an aviation safety expert and former United Airlines pilot, noted that incidents like this occur frequently on taxiways across the United States, often without media coverage due to the lack of physical collisions. He emphasized the need for increased awareness and scrutiny of taxiway operations in light of multiple recent incidents, stating, “Multiple incidents, accidents happening, just in March alone, I think it’s time to put some serious eyes on what’s going on on the ramp.”
