A near-catastrophic incident occurred at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) involving a jet carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team. The private aircraft, operated by Key Lime Air, narrowly escaped disaster when air traffic controllers urgently shouted "stop, stop, stop!" as a Delta Airlines flight was taking off. This incident, which occurred on a Friday afternoon, has prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to launch a thorough investigation.

The incident was captured on video during a plane-spotting livestream, showcasing the tense moment when the Embraer E135 jet was on the verge of crossing the runway just as Delta Flight 471 took off. According to the FAA, the chartered plane never actually crossed the runway edge line despite the close call, avoiding a potentially serious collision. "This is a stark reminder of the critical roles that air traffic controllers play in maintaining safety in increasingly crowded airspaces," stated a representative from the FAA (AP News).

Gonzaga was en route to play against UCLA, having landed at LAX around 4:20 p.m. PST. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the players or crew on board. After the incident, the team played UCLA the following day but lost 65-62 in their matchup, which was notably the first college basketball game held at the new Intuit Dome.

The university expressed relief that no one was harmed, stating in a message that they were cooperating with the FAA’s investigation and would review more information as it became available. Delta Airlines stated they operated Flight 471 as normal and were unaware of any communication from the FAA regarding the incident (HuffPost).

As the investigation unfolds, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges surrounding air traffic management and safety protocols in high-traffic environments like LAX.

For more details about the incident, visit the original reports on (The Guardian) and (USA Today).