A major tragedy was averted in Bengaluru's skies earlier this month, as two passenger flights of the same airline, the Gurguram-based IndiGo, nearly collided after taking off from the city's Kempegowda International Airport, senior officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Wednesday.
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Detailing the incident, DGCA officials said the near-mishap happened on the morning of January 7. “Two IndiGo planes, headed to Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar, were involved in breach of separation at the Bengaluru airport. The Kolkata-bound flight was numbered 6E455, while the one departing for Bhubaneswar was numbered 6E426,” officials of the aviation regulator said.
A ‘breach of separation’ takes place when two aircraft breach the minimum mandatory vertical or horizontal distance in an airspace. In this case, according to DGCA, there was an interval of approximately 5 minutes between each flight taking off.
“After departure, both planes were moving towards each other. The collision was avoided after an approach radar controller gave a diverging heading,” it added.
{{/usCountry}}“After departure, both planes were moving towards each other. The collision was avoided after an approach radar controller gave a diverging heading,” it added.
{{/usCountry}}The aviation controller also claimed the incident was not logged in any logbook, nor reported to it by the Airports Authority of India (AAII). Arun Kumar, the DGCA chief, said the body is probing how the error took place, assuring ‘strictest action’ against those found responsible.
(With PTI inputs)