American Airlines flight ordered to make ‘expedited climb’ to avoid crashing into mountain after Hawaii takeoff

An American Airlines flight departing Hawaii was hastily ordered to make an “expedited climb” to avoid crashing into mountainous terrain on Wednesday. 

Flight 298 had departed Honolulu, headed for Los Angeles International Airport, when an air traffic controller from Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport ordered the flight to “turn right and expedite your climb through terrain and then turn right,” according to broadcast audio from website LiveATC.

That order was made around 1 a.m. local time Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that an air traffic controller instructed the flight to “perform an expedited climb after the crew did not make the assigned turn while departing from Honolulu International Airport.”

The FAA, which is investigating the incident, said the controller’s actions “ensured the aircraft remained safely above nearby terrain.”

American Airlines said: “During the climb out of Honolulu on November 13, the crew of American Airlines flight 298 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 trajectory of the aircraft,” the airline noted.