Video shows close call on taxiway at CLT

CHARLOTTE — An American Airlines pilot hit the brakes while taxiing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday morning, according to ATC.com.

In air traffic control calls, you can hear the pilot say that he was trying to avoid a ground vehicle that went right in front of the airliner.

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The plane was moving at a very slow speed and did not exceed 15 mph, according to FlightRadar24 data.

Channel 9 obtained the chatter from ATC.com.

Pilot: So, that white-black truck, they just went right in front of us, and we nearly hit them. I had to slam on our brakes. We had our taxi light on, and we had started moving. They need to be someone’s … got to be notified right away. That was really bad.

ATC: Ok, I’ll run the camera back. Which way was he heading? North or south?

Pilot: Uh, yeah, heading south.

ATC: It was a white-black pick-up truck?

Pilot: Yeah, I think it was Ops. Yeah, that was really bad.

ATC: OK, I see him. The Ops vehicle I got him now.

Airport officials said it is investigating the incident, while American Airlines praised the actions of the crew.

American Airlines released the following statement: “We’re proud of the professionalism of our crew and the action they took when a ground vehicle not affiliated with American Airlines entered the aircraft’s path on a taxiway.”

Charlotte Douglas statement: “Safety and security are top priorities at CLT. This incident is being investigated in accordance with safety standards.”

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