Runway incursion at LAX was minor

FAA: There was ‘ample time and distance to avoid a potential collision’

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updated 10:06 a.m. ET Nov. 5, 2009

LOS ANGELES - The Federal Aviation Administration has determined a runway incursion at Los Angeles International Airport last week was minor.

In a statement Wednesday, the FAA says the Oct. 25 incident was a "Category C" incursion, meaning there was "ample time and distance to avoid a potential collision." A Category A is the most serious type of incursion and a D is the least serious.

The incident involved a Midwest Airlines Embraer 190 that landed and taxied toward a runway on which a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757 was taking off.

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The FAA estimates the total distance between the Midwest jet's nose and the Northwest plane's wingtip was about 82 feet.

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