Mumbai: Radar controller hung up post safety scare

The aviation safety regulator has suspended a radar controller at Mumbai in connection with a safety scare that put hundreds of fliers’ travelling onboard two aircraft at risk.

The aviation safety regulator has suspended a radar controller at Mumbai in connection with a safety scare that put hundreds of fliers’ travelling onboard two aircraft at risk.

HT Image

On Thursday afternoon, a city-bound Jet Airways flight came dangerously close (approximately 25 to 30 seconds away) to an Indigo Airlines flight bound for Jaipur. The incident took place around 12:30 pm, soon after the Indigo Airlines flight took off.

According to a preliminary report by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) the Indigo flight received a collision warning from the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), an in-built safety device, during its initial climb. An Indigo Airlines spokesperson confirmed the incident.

“The flight received RA (resolution advisory) from the TCAS which was triggered by a Jet Airways flight on final approach. The flight crew informed the ATC about the warning as per the standing operating procedure and continued the flight,” said the spokesperson.

The TCAS issues two kinds of warnings — traffic advisory and resolution advisory — the first indicates a plane at a vertical distance of 35 to 40 seconds, while the latter is issued when two mid-air planes are separated by 25 to 30 seconds.