The Gonzaga men’s basketball team experienced a terrifying near-miss at LAX on Friday. The Bulldogs’ private jet came harrowingly close to colliding with a Delta flight that was taking off on the runway.
Following its 65-62 loss to UCLA at the Intuit Dome, Gonzaga boarded its private jet at LAX. The small jet began to cross the runway as a commercial Delta flight was taking off. The smaller jet stopped just in time as the larger aircraft lifted off the ground.
In video of the incident, air traffic controllers can be heard instructing Gonzaga’s private jet to “stop, stop, stop.”
Luckily, the planes never made contact, and no one was injured. In a statement to the Associated Press, Gonzaga said it was grateful that the worst-case scenario was avoided.
“We understand that the incident at LAX is under investigation and we will review this information as it becomes available,” the school said in its statement. “Our team members aboard the aircraft were unaware of the situation as it occurred and we are grateful that the incident ended safely for all.”
The FAA is now investigating the incident in an attempt to figure out how the Gonzaga jet, operated by Key Lime Air, came that close to crossing the runway while another flight was taking off. A Delta spokesperson told the AP that it is “cooperating with aviation officials” as the investigation continues.
