Los Angeles, Sept. 14 – United Boeing 787 pilots take wrong turn after Los Angeles takeoff when United Airlines flight UA923, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered N24974, left Los Angeles International Airport bound for London Heathrow and immediately departed from its assigned RNAV Docker procedure. Cleared for takeoff on Runway 25R, the aircraft became airborne and turned north instead of tracking the expected westbound departure path, crossing corridors associated with LAX’s northern runways and prompting an urgent intervention from tower controllers who recognized the conflict potential in one of the world’s busiest terminal areas. The unexpected routing occurred within seconds of rotation and required an immediate heading change to restore separation and procedural compliance.
Air traffic control issued a time-critical instruction for United 923 to turn left now to heading 251, which the crew acknowledged while attributing the error to a flight management computer that had been programmed incorrectly. After the initial correction, the flight contacted Southern California departure, reported passing 2500 feet, and received successive climb clearances to 5000, 7000, and 8000 feet, together with a direct routing toward Malibu. Controllers later noted that the aircraft had not executed the required turn at the Malibu waypoint and issued a further heading of 030 with instructions to proceed direct Lady J once able.
The departure controller advised the crew of a possible pilot deviation and provided a telephone number for later contact, an advisory the pilots accepted without dispute. Following the additional heading and waypoint instructions, the Boeing 787-9 was transferred to the next frequency and continued its climb and transatlantic routing without any declared emergency or further disruption. The remainder of the long-haul sector to Heathrow proceeded normally once the aircraft was re-established on the revised track.
The incident illustrates the critical importance of accurate flight-management-system loading and instantaneous crew-controller coordination during the high-workload departure phase at Los Angeles International Airport. Even a brief deviation from an RNAV procedure can generate traffic conflicts in the densely used airspace surrounding LAX, making precise programming and prompt ATC response essential for maintaining safety on complex international departures such as UA923.