LOS ANGELES — An inquiry has been initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a close call involving a private jet transporting the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team. The incident took place at Los Angeles International Airport when the aircraft nearly intersected a runway during the takeoff of another flight on Friday.
The aircraft, operated by Key Lime Air, was instructed by air traffic controllers to halt its approach to the runway as a Delta flight was preparing for takeoff. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident. According to the FAA, “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 told the pilots to stop. The jet never crossed the runway edge line.”
Caught on a plane-spotting livestream, the event was documented, including audio of an air traffic controller urgently instructing, “Stop, stop, stop.” The pilot complied instantly before continuing moments later.
The Gonzaga team was in Los Angeles for a matchup against UCLA on Saturday, which resulted in a close defeat with a final score of 65-62, marking the inaugural college basketball game held at the Intuit Dome, the new venue for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, Gonzaga expressed their awareness of the ongoing investigation and indicated that the team members on board were unaware of any issues during the flight. “We are grateful that the incident ended safely for all,” the university stated.
Key Lime Air did not respond promptly to requests for comment. Meanwhile, Los Angeles World Airports directed media inquiries to the FAA. A spokesperson for Delta Airlines noted that its flight operated without incident. “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 airline commented in an email.
On Monday night, Gonzaga, currently ranked 19th, bounced back from their earlier loss by defeating Pepperdine 89-82 in Malibu. Khalif Battle, a sixth-year guard who contributed a team-high tally of 21 points, opted to refrain from commenting on the flight incident. The Gonzaga athletic department’s media relations representative referred reporters to the university’s prior statement.
Braden Huff, a third-year forward, expressed eagerness to return to Spokane, Washington, ahead of their game against Portland on Thursday. “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,” Huff, who scored 19 points, shared.
Following the game, Bulldogs coach Mark Few emphasized the team’s achievement in securing the win. “I told ’em after the game, that was mission accomplished,” he remarked.
