A key communication system at the Indira Gandhi International Airport collapsed on Sunday evening, throwing air traffic into chaos for almost an hour.
Control tower lost contact with incoming pilots on Sunday
NEW DELHI: A key communication system at the Indira Gandhi International Airport collapsed on Sunday evening, throwing air traffic into chaos for almost an hour, according to authoritative sources.
With radar blackouts, bird hits and air misses now being reported with alarming regularity (see chart), a big question-mark hangs over air safety at Indian airports.
In Sunday’s incident, a system called the Drake system collapsed for four minutes, leading to over an hour of chaos.
“The Drake system is very critical for very high frequency (VHF) communication gadgets. Once it went off, it was real-time trouble for all those manning the control tower,” an official recalled.
No communication was possible in the 124.2 Mhz frequency through VHF sets configured to the approach area, he said.
The system, which had been configured to the VHF sets barely three days ago, went out of action during peak hour, around 8.40 pm.
Its collapse triggered shockwaves in the control tower as the 124.2 Mhz frequency is used for speaking to pilots approaching Delhi airport. When the system failed there were 20 aircraft hovering over Delhi airspace.
The communication glitch forced an abrupt closure of the twin-runway operations between at 8.30 pm and 10 pm.
Airport sources confirmed the runway closure was related to security concerns because the VHF sets were not available for talking to pilots approaching both the runways.
At IGI airport, the twin-runway operation is very important for optimising flight handling during peak hours. Its closure resulted in a last-minute rescheduling of dozens of flights that were slotted for takeoff or landing during this period.
The domino effect lingered on till late night, delaying several late-night domestic and international flights. As evening creeps into night, the number of international flights in Delhi also picks up.
It was only on October 19 that the frequency (124.2) was specifically configured to VHF sets meant to communicate with aircraft located in the approach region of Delhi airspace. And on October 22 it failed.
“Ideally, the approach VHF frequency must be crystal clear so that the pilot can be given instructions without any disturbance. But when the system collapsed there was no option but to stop two-runway operation,” said an airport source.
“One could hear loud disturbances and crackling sounds in the 124.2 frequency VHF sets, and it became impossible to use them for communicating with pilots who were waiting for instructions,” said a senior airport official.
He said the problem could have led to miscommunication between pilots and controllers.
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