Runway Incursion Probed at LA International

Oct. 27, 2009
The jets were within 100 feet of each other, but radar data was being analyzed to determine the exact distance.

LOS ANGELES --

The Federal Aviation Administration is trying to determine how close two passenger jets came to each other in a so-called runway incursion at Los Angeles International Airport.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said Monday the jets were within 100 feet of each other, but radar data was being analyzed to determine the exact distance. A finding could come as early as Tuesday.

The incident involved a Midwest Express Embraer 190 that landed and taxied toward a runway on which a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757 was taking off for Honolulu on Sunday afternoon.

Midwest Express Flight 1503, arriving from Milwaukee, landed on the airport's southernmost runway and was told to turn onto a taxiway and hold there.

Gregor said the jet was supposed to stop 200 feet from the edge of a parallel runway but continued on. Gregor said a controller saw what was happening and ordered the aircraft to halt.

Los Angeles International Airport has four parallel runways, two on the north side of the central terminal area and two on the south side. Planes landing on the outer runways have to cross the inner runways to reach the terminals.

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