Airmiss probe: approach controller suspended

By T.S. Shankar

CHENNAI, MARCH 26. The Approach Controller of the Bangalore HAL airport has been placed under suspension, following a probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which confirmed the ``air-miss'' involving an Indian Airlines Airbus-320 flight and a Lufthansa freighter on March 22.

The investigation by the Regional Controller of Air Safety, Chennai, under the DGCA's directive and instructions from the Deputy Director General, Air Safety, Mr. K. Gohain, also throws light on how this ``air-miss'' took place when there was ``crossing air traffic'' involving the IA ``fly-by-wire'' jet and an MD-11 foreign carrier's freighter plane. The probe has also revealed that two jetliners had a separation flying level of only 6 to 8 nautical miles.

Giving details of the DGCA probe which highlights the sequence of events that led to the ``air miss'', highly placed airport sources told The Hindu here today that the mid-air incident occurred around 7.10 a.m., about 15 nautical miles east of Salem. On that day when the IA Airbus with 20 passengers on-board was climbing to 31,000 ft. the Lufthansa freighter plane (8414) was cleared straightaway to climb to 33,000 ft when it took off from Bangalore airport to go to Colombo.

The IA aircraft bearing call sign (VT-ESC) bound for Kozhikode and piloted by Capt. M.S. Sindhu had taken off from Chennai airport at 6.44 a.m. It was flying on the ``whisky-24 air route'', while the foreign airlines cargo plane was flying on the ``whisky-42 air route''.

The investigation carried out by the DGCA official in Bangalore HAL airport, also brings out clearly how the Duty Approach Controller, Mr. M. Cherian, had ``failed to recognise the conflicting air traffic'' inspite of the level clearance acceptance message conveyed by the Area Controllers of Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram airports to the Bangalore HAL Airport Approach Controller. The DGCA official has recorded an independent statement from Mr. Cherian on how he had ``forgotten to take note of the time of entry and time of exit of these two jetliners over Salem air space''. The probe has brought out how the Lufthansa pilot had visually spotted the IA Airbus flying on ``conflicting crossing traffic''.

The enquiry has also revealed that while the Lufthansa pilot had conveyed the message to the Bangalore ATC authorities about the ``conflicting air traffic'', it had taken serious note of the absence of the IA pilot not reporting the mid-air incident, which is in violation of the prevailing mandatory DGCA directive.

The Digital Flight Data Recordings (DFDR) of the Lufthansa freighter plane and the IA Airbus-320 have also been sought for further corroborating the evidences.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Valuables looted from train passengers