A major catastrophe was avoided at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) on Saturday when two Jet Airways aircraft came in close proximity of each other during landing.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials blamed the pilot of one of the aircraft for misunderstanding instructions. On their part, airline sources have blamed ATC saying that the controller allegedly mistook one aircraft for another and subsequently gave instructions to the wrong aircraft. ATC officials said if that would have been the case then the other aircraft would have not descended.
They added that the communication transcript between controller and the pilots would clearly bring out the truth.
Separate inquiries have been initiated into the case by the ATC and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
According to sources, the incident happened around 1.30pm. Jet Airways flight 2106 (Indore-Mumbai, which lands at 1.50pm) and another Jet Airways flight 306 (Delhi-Mumbai, which lands at 1.55pm) sought descending clearance at the same communication frequency from the ATC.
As per ATC sources, the ATC gave clearance to flight 2106 for descending, but it was wrongly misunderstood by the pilot of flight 306, which then began to descend.
The pilot of flight 2106 however found something suspicious and thereby asked ATC whether there is any other aircraft moving around it.
ATC officials found that flight 306 was descending and had come dangerously close, within seven nautical miles, of flight 2106. The ATC immediately alerted flight 306 to make a lateral diversion towards its right, thereby diverting a possible catastrophe.
Who is to blame?
ATC officials blamed the pilot of one of the aircraft for misunderstanding instructions.
Airline sources blamed ATC saying that the controller allegedly mistook one aircraft for another and subsequently gave instructions to the wrong aircraft.
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