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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated an inquiry following a potentially dangerous incident involving a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team. The situation unfolded Friday at Los Angeles International Airport when the jet almost entered a runway as another plane was taking off.
The aircraft, which is operated by Key Lime Air, was ordered to halt its movement by air traffic controllers just moments before a Delta flight commenced its takeoff. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported in the incident.
The FAA provided details in a statement, explaining, “Air traffic controllers directed Key Lime Air Flight 563 to hold short of crossing a runway at Los Angeles International Airport because a second aircraft was taking off from the runway at the time. When the Embraer E135 jet proceeded to cross the hold bars, air traffic controllers instructed the pilots to stop. The jet did not cross the runway edge line.”
Footage from a plane-spotting livestream captured the dramatic moment, including audio where a controller urgently instructs the Key Lime Air flight to “stop, stop, stop.” The crew complied quickly, halting the flight before proceeding again after a brief interval.
This incident occurred as Gonzaga was in Los Angeles for an eagerly anticipated match against UCLA scheduled for Saturday. In a close contest, the Bulldogs lost to the Bruins, 65-62, marking the first college basketball game held at Intuit Dome, the recently opened venue for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
In response to the incident, Gonzaga University stated in an email, “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 unfolded and we are grateful that the incident ended safely for all.”
Key Lime Air has yet to comment on the incident when contacted by The Associated Press. Meanwhile, Los Angeles World Airports directed inquiries to the FAA. A representative from Delta Airlines noted that their flight operated as scheduled without any complications and that they are cooperating fully with the investigation.
“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,” the spokesperson stated.
In their subsequent game, Gonzaga, now ranked No. 19, achieved a solid victory over Pepperdine, winning 89-82 in Malibu on Monday night.
Guard Khalif Battle, one of the standout players with 21 points, refrained from discussing the flight incident, with the Gonzaga athletic department referring all queries back to the university’s previous statement.
Next, Braden Huff, a third-year forward, expressed enthusiasm about returning to Spokane, Washington, anticipating their upcoming game against Portland on Thursday. “I mean, we’re happy with the win, 1-1 on the road trip. Would like to be 2-0, so just to be able to get back to Spokane, get another game in on Thursday, it feels good to get another opportunity,” he stated, after contributing 19 points in the match.
Coach Mark Few highlighted the significance of the team’s recent performance, stating, “I told ’em after the game, that was mission accomplished.”
Source
sports.yahoo.com