Gonzaga University official announcements or press releases

FAA Probes LAX Near-Miss Between Gonzaga Team's Key Lime Air Jet and Delta Flight 471

Dec 30, 2024, 09:28 PM

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a near-miss incident at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) involving a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men's basketball team and a Delta Airlines flight. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Friday when the Gonzaga team's Embraer E135 jet, operated by Key Lime Air, was taxiing after landing from Spokane, Washington. Air traffic controllers had directed the jet to hold short of a runway due to Delta flight 471, a Delta Airbus A321 taking off for Atlanta. However, the jet proceeded to cross the hold bars, prompting controllers to urgently command the pilots to 'stop, stop, stop.' The jet halted just before the runway edge line, narrowly avoiding a collision as the Delta flight took off. No one was injured in the incident, and the Gonzaga team members were unaware of the situation as it occurred. The team was in Los Angeles for a game against UCLA at the Intuit Dome, which they lost 65-62 the following day.