Hawaii flight climbs up at dramatic speed to avoid colliding with mountain range

A flight that took off from the Hawaii airport on Wednesday night was on a path towards a major mountain range and could have crashed into it because of an error. Thankfully, air traffic control intervened on time, avoiding a major disaster.

The American Airlines flight 298 took off from Honolulu International Airport at around 12:20 for Los Angeles. The pilots were supposed to take a turn while taking off, but failed to so, putting them in a collision path with the Koʻolau mountain range, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The air traffic controller ordered the pilots to undertake an “expedited climb” to reach a safe height and fly above the mountain range.

In an audio cited by hawaiinewsnow.com, the air traffic can be heard telling the pilots, “Number 298 turn right, expedite your climb through terrain and then turn right."

American Airlines averts crash

FAA also issued a statement later, saying the manoeuver "ensured the aircraft remained safely above nearby terrain."

“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 said in a statement.

According to officials, if the aircraft failed to perform the dramatic elevation gain, it could have crashed into the Koʻolau mountain range on the island of Oʻahu.

An American Airlines spokesperson told CNN that the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, which alerts the crew to a potential collision, did not go off during the incident. They added that the crew "complied with controller instructions."

The FAA has opened an investigation into the incident.