E-Paper
The near-miss at Bengaluru airport: All you need to know
On January 7, two flights of the same carrier--IndiGo--took off at the same time, nearly resulting in a collision, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). While one plane was headed to Kolkata, the other was Bhubaneswar-bound.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a probe into the near-miss that took place at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on January 7. The incident involved two flights of the same carrier, the Gurguram-headquartered IndiGo, with one leaving for Kolkata, and the other departing for Bhubaneswar.
Here's all you need to know:
(1.) According to DGCA officials, Indigo's flight 6E455 to Kolkata and 6E246 to Bhubaneswar were given all-clear to take off at the same time. The aviation regulator has attributed this to a possible miscommunication between air traffic controllers (ATCos).
(2.) The DGCA noted that the airport's South runway, which was being used for landings, was closed at some point during the day. This meant that the North runway, which runs parallel to the South, from where departures were taking place, was now handling arrivals as well.
(3.) This closure of the South runway was not communicated to the air traffic controllers, leading to the two planes being cleared to take off at the same time, the body said in its preliminary report.
(4.) An approach radar controller noted the two flights moving towards each other and immediately conveyed this to pilots on each plane. The pilots diverged at the last minute, thus preventing the collision.
(5.) According to an NDTV report, the two aircraft were at an altitude of 3000 feet. The same report said as many as 238 passengers and six crew were onboard the Bhubaneswar-bound flight, while the Bengaluru flight was carrying 176 passengers and six crew. It identified the approach radar controller as forty-two year old Lokendra Singh.
(6.) The DGCA further said the incident was not recorded in any logbook, nor was it reported by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
