Pilot had to ‘slam on the brakes’ to avoid hitting a truck at North Carolina airport

A screengrab from video shows American Airlines 1197 stopping as two vehicles pass in front of it on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. (Charlotte Douglas International Airport via CNN Newsource)

Washington — An American Airlines pilot was forced to “slam on the brakes” to avoid hitting a truck at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday, according to a recording of air traffic control radio.

“That white-black truck, they just went right in front of us and we nearly hit them,” the pilot said in the audio from ATC.com. “I had to slam on the brakes. We had our taxi light on, we started moving. They need to be - someone’s gotta be notified right away. That was really bad.”

Security camera video released by the airport shows the Airbus A319 plane starting to slowly taxi away from the terminals as a line of vehicles approached. The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.

After pausing for a few moments, Flight 1197 continued on for its scheduled departure to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

“No injuries or property damage were reported, and there were no impacts to airport operations,” the airport said in a statement. “Emergency services were neither requested nor dispatched. Safety and security remain top priorities at CLT, and this incident is being reviewed in accordance with established safety standards.”

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Cockpit windows are small and make it difficult to see pedestrians or other vehicles, which is why aircraft have the right of way at airports.

Ground safety procedures require ground crews yield to aircraft at all times, particularly in active ramp and alleyway environments where visibility can be limited, an American Airlines spokesperson told CNN.

“In this case, two vehicles associated with Charlotte Douglas International Airport did not yield to our aircraft taxiing from an alleyway, but our vigilant and professional crew took immediate action,” an airline spokesperson said. “We appreciate that CLT Airport will be reviewing this.”

The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN the incident occurred in an area of the airport that air traffic control does not manage, but the agency is still investigating.

The incident comes over a week after pilots had to suddenly stop a Frontier Airlines jet as two trucks crossed in front of them while taxing at Los Angeles International Airport.

Last month, an Air Canada Express regional jet landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport slammed into a fire truck crossing the active runway, killing the two pilots and injuring dozens of others. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating that incident.

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