American Airlines Flight Narrowly Avoids Mountain in Hawaii with Expedited Climb

An American Airlines flight had a close call on Wednesday, November 13, when it had to perform an ‘expedited climb’ to avoid a mountain shortly after taking off from Honolulu International Airport. The flight, American Airlines Flight 298, was en route to Los Angeles International Airport when the incident occurred.

The situation arose when the crew did not make the assigned turn during departure, prompting an air traffic controller to instruct the pilot to “turn right and expedite your climb through terrain.” This instruction was captured on audio from the flight, provided by LIVEATC.NET[3].

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the controller’s swift action ensured the aircraft remained safely above nearby terrain. The FAA has initiated an investigation into the incident, which occurred around 1 a.m. local time on Wednesday[1][3][4].

American Airlines issued a statement emphasizing that the safety of their customers and team members is their top priority. The airline confirmed that during the climb out of Honolulu, the crew requested and received right-turn clearance and complied with controller instructions. There was no Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) alert, as there were no issues with terrain clearance based on the aircraft’s trajectory[3].

The incident highlights the critical role of air traffic control in ensuring aviation safety and the importance of prompt communication between controllers and pilots.