Fri, Sep 22, 2006
One Near-Miss, One Go-Around
It's getting crowded in
the skies over India... where authorities report not just one, but
two near-miss incidents Thursday.
The first close encounter involved a Jet Airways Boeing 737-700,
en route to Rajkot from Mumbai. A spokesman for the airline told
Agence-France Press as the airliner made it's initial descent for
landing, a Russian-made Sukhoi Su30 jet operated by the Indian air
force came within about 500 feet of colliding.
The Boeing's crew received an alert from its onboard Traffic
Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and took evasive action at 23,000
feet. "The pilot gave a high pressure thrust to the engine in a
sudden climb to avoid any untoward incident," the spokesman
added.
None of the 89 passengers aboard the airliner were hurt; neither
was the pilot of the fighter. Jet Airways decided to ground the jet
in Rajkot following the incident.
A spokesman with the IAF maintained the Sukhoi (file photo of
type, below) never posed a threat to the airliner, "as the airforce
pilots were fully aware of the situation."
The pilots had the Boeing on radar the entire time, squadron
leader Mahesh Upasani added, "but we have ordered an enquiry into
the incident along with the directorate general of civil
aviation."
Hours after that incident, another flight coming in from Mumbai
-- this one cleared for landing in New Delhi -- had to initiate a
go-around when the pilot saw another plane take the runway.
The Press Trust of India news agency reports the pilot of the
Indian Airlines Airbus A320 made a sharp climb that "shocked" many
passengers, quoting an unidentified senior government official who
was on board the airliner.
The plane landed safely on its second landing attempt.
More News
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: JAARS, Inc. For decades now, we’ve landed planes on narrow rivers and towering mountains. We’ve outfitted boats and vehicles to reach villages that rarely se>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]
ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.20.24): Light Gun
See All