While flying over Hawaii, an American Airlines flight just missed colliding with a mountain peak in Honolulu.
Flight AA298 avoided disaster on Wednesday at around 1 a.m. local time after departing from Honolulu International Airport.
The Los Angeles bound trip faced a high climb over Kōnāhuanui, two mountain peaks in Honolulu County. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
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According to Simple Flying, the Airbus A321neo took an “unusual takeoff path.” “Rather than making an immediate right turn upon departure, the crew missed instructions and flew the aircraft straight out east.”
The publication said that just two minutes after taking off, the plane was at 2,900 feet. However, the elevation of the mountain peak is 3,150 feet.
The FAA told Simple Flying that the crew didn’t follow air traffic controller directions to make an assigned turn.
“An air traffic controller instructed American Airlines Flight 298 to perform an expedited climb after the crew did not make the assigned turn while departing from Honolulu International Airport,” the FAA told Simply Flying. “The controller’s actions ensured the aircraft remained safely above nearby terrain.”
After pilots expedited the climb, the plane safely flew over the mountains.
