TAP Jet Deviates From Departure Instructions at LAX
A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A330-900 bound for Lisbon turned off its assigned departure path after taking off from Los Angeles on October 20, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Air Travel
TAP Air Portugal flight TP-248, an Airbus A330-900 with registration CS-TUS, turned left after climbing through about 1,000 feet on departure from Los Angeles on October 20, 2026. Air traffic control twice instructed the crew to turn back, and the aircraft later landed safely in Lisbon about 9.5 hours after departure.
Why it matters
The incident involved a deviation from air traffic control instructions during departure, a procedure central to safe separation of aircraft in busy airspace. The crew was directed to call a phone number due to possible pilot deviation, a process that could lead to a review by aviation authorities.
Air traffic control ordered headings 250, 090 and 180 and cleared the aircraft to 13,000 feet after it turned left past about 1,000 feet. The flight then continued about 9.5 hours to Lisbon, but the cause of the crew's deviation remains unexplained.
The players
TAP Air Portugal
TAP Air Portugal is the national flag carrier of Portugal, operating international passenger service from its hub in Lisbon.
The details
Flight TP-248 departed runway 24L at Los Angeles International Airport bound for Lisbon. After the aircraft turned left, departure control told the crew to turn right back to heading 250, and the crew said it had been cleared for the ORCKA Five Departure, which controllers said was incorrect. Controllers later asked whether the crew was okay, and the crew confirmed they and the aircraft were fine before being directed to a phone number for a possible pilot deviation.
Timeline
October 20, 2026: TAP flight TP-248 departs Los Angeles and turns off its assigned departure path.
About 9.5 hours later: the aircraft lands in Lisbon without further incident.
Travel Outlook
Departure procedures such as the ORCKA Five Departure are published routes that keep climbing aircraft separated from other traffic at Los Angeles International Airport. Deviations from those routes, like this one, are handled through air traffic control instructions and pilot deviation reviews rather than through changes to the procedures themselves.
Travelers booked on departures from Los Angeles can expect standard air traffic control procedures to apply, and the deviation in this case did not affect the scheduled arrival in Lisbon apart from its length. Passengers planning similar long-haul trips can focus on airline schedules and boarding information rather than departure route changes.
The takeaway
Departure instructions from air traffic control are followed precisely to keep aircraft separated, and even a brief deviation triggers a formal review. The flight's safe landing in Lisbon shows how such incidents are typically resolved.
Further reading
For more on how flights like this one are routed and managed, see Air Travel coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Avherald.
