{"id":162193,"date":"2026-10-27T01:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T19:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=162193"},"modified":"2026-10-26T21:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T15:45:15","slug":"tap-air-portugal-a330-makes-two-wrong-turns-after-lax-takeoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/27\/tap-air-portugal-a330-makes-two-wrong-turns-after-lax-takeoff\/","title":{"rendered":"TAP Air Portugal A330 Pilots Makes Two Wrong Turns After Takeoff from Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LOS ANGELES-<\/strong> Pilots operating a TAP Air Portugal (TP)<\/a> Airbus A330-900neo from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Lisbon (LIS) made two incorrect turns shortly after takeoff on October 20, 2026. Air traffic controllers intervened to correct the aircraft\u2019s flight path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident involved an early turn in the wrong direction and a second turn that contradicted an explicit instruction from air traffic control (ATC). The aircraft eventually returned to the correct course and continued its flight without a reported incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"TAP
Photo: Cl\u00e9ment Alloing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ATC Questions TAP Air Portugal Pilots Twice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The incident began after the TAP Air Portugal Airbus A330-900neo<\/a> received clearance to depart from runway 24L at Los Angeles International Airport. The flight crew was instructed to initially navigate toward the DLREY waypoint, part of the airport\u2019s standard instrument departure procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft turned south earlier than expected. The departure controller noticed the deviation and instructed the pilots to turn right immediately to a heading of 250 degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unexpected turn raised concerns because Los Angeles International Airport handles closely spaced departures from multiple runways. Aircraft must follow their assigned departure procedures and controller instructions to maintain the required separation from other traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to OMAAT<\/a>, the ATC exchange shows that the controller questioned the crew after noticing the aircraft’s unexpected manoeuvre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controller asked the pilots, \u201cYour plane took a really steep south turn there for some reason, is everything okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the pilots responded that the crew had previously received the ORCKA FIVE departure and was following that standard instrument departure (SID). The controller rejected the explanation, responding, \u201cThat\u2019s not even close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exchange indicated a possible mismatch between the departure procedure the crew was following and the instructions associated with the runway in use, YouCanSeeATC reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"TAP
Photo: Nabil Molinari | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why the Aircraft Turned South Too Early<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ORCKA FIVE departure serves aircraft departing from multiple runways at Los Angeles International Airport. However, the initial navigation instructions differ according to the assigned runway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aircraft departing from runway 24L must initially navigate directly toward the DLREY waypoint. Aircraft departing from runway 25R instead use the DOCKR waypoint before continuing along the departure route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sequence of events suggests that the TAP Air Portugal crew may have configured or followed a departure associated with the wrong runway. However, the available account does not establish the precise cause of the error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The failure to read back the instruction to proceed toward DLREY also raised questions about whether the crew correctly understood and briefed the departure clearance before takeoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Departure procedures contain specific routing and navigation instructions that pilots must follow according to the runway assigned by ATC<\/a>. Selecting or following the wrong initial route can put an aircraft on an unexpected heading, particularly in a busy airport environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controller’s prompt correction helped direct the aircraft back toward the intended departure path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Paul Evans | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

TAP Pilots Turn Right After Being Told to Turn Left<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The situation continued after the aircraft began flying westbound. The departure controller instructed the pilots to turn left to a heading of 090 degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilots correctly read back the instruction, confirming that they had understood the requested direction and heading. However, the aircraft then turned right instead of left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controller intervened again and instructed the crew to stop the turn. The controller reminded the pilots that they were heading in the wrong direction and needed to turn left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The repeated directional error prompted a second question about the crew\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controller again asked whether everything was okay. The pilot responded, \u201cI\u2019ve already replied to that message; we are okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exchange highlighted a gap between the instruction acknowledged by the crew and the manoeuvre the aircraft subsequently performed. The available account does not establish why the aircraft turned in the opposite direction after the pilots correctly read back the instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For controllers managing departures at a busy airport, prompt corrections are important when an aircraft deviates from its assigned heading. In this case, the controller issued further instructions to help the crew regain the correct flight path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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