A major aviation disaster was averted when two aircraft came frighteningly close to each other while landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
A major aviation disaster was averted when two aircraft came frighteningly close to each other while landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. The near collision, which could have been even more catastrophic than the 1996 crash over Charkhi Dadri village in Haryana, occurred over the thickly populated colony of Dwarka.
The two aircraft involved in the near miss were Air India’s 840 Shamshabad-Delhi and Indigo’s 192 Mumbai-Delhi. The incident occurred at 9:26 pm on March 2, when both flights were coming in to land at IGIA, putting about 400 lives of passengers at stake.
A senior Directorate General of Civil (DGCA) Aviation official involved in the probe said a major tragedy was averted. “Lateral separation between the two aircraft was about one kilometer and vertical separation was less than 200 feet,” he told DNA. Less than five kilometers of lateral separation and less than 1000 feet of vertical separation is considered alarming.
“When the inter-space arrival distance reduced to a dangerous level, the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) on duty directed Air India 840 to take a left turn. While taking left turn, it crossed approach path runway and came close to Indigo 192, which was given a go-ahead to land at runway 11,” a senior probe official told DNA.
The aircraft should have been directed to turn right.
An air traffic controller has been shunted out for the lapse. This is not the first time the ATC has committed an error. On an earlier occasion, the same officer was given a warning and de-rostered for negligence but escaped harsher punishment as she is an executive member of the Air Traffic Controllers’ Guild.
Perhaps it was providence only that averted a disaster as things had gone out of the hands of even the all important Air Traffic Control (ATC) on ground, forcing them to issue ‘resolution advisory’ (RA) to both the pilots.
In simple words, an RA means that the ATC, which guides an aircraft from ground, leaves the decision-making to the pilots.
Investigations have revealed the Air India 840 A319 Shmshabad-Delhi was following a Jet Airways 2644 Amritsar-Delhi on final approach runway 11 at four miles.
Instructions for reduction of speed were given to Air India and was also advised about traffic ahead on localiser. Thereafter AI 840 was changed over to tower south.
“Indigo flight 192 A320 Mumbai-Delhi was following four miles behind Air India 840 on runway 10. Observing that separation between Jet Airways and Air India was reducing, approach controller passed instructions to tower controller for repositioning Air India,” a senior probe official told DNA, quoting from the departmental inquiry report.
“Following the order, AI 840 initiated the turn and crossed the approach path, thereby reducing separation with Indigo Airline, which was descending on ILS 10. Both AI and Indigo received resolution advisory. Both flights were allowed to follow RA,” the official said.
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