Crossed wire nightmare dogs IGI

Air traffic controllers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport complain about regular disturbance and sometimes cross-connection on the wireless VHF (Very High Frequency) over which they talk to and instruct pilots. Not only they have to keep repeating instructions because of the disturbance, sometimes cross-connections lead to scary situations when one pilot start following instructions meant for someone else.
With dreaded fog season fast approaching and the number of flights from IGIA being increased this winter, the Delhi ATC said communication disturbance would pose a big problem.
An ATC said that it takes a lot of time just for the pilot to establish his/her identity. “What should be done in one transmission takes four-five, leading to more stress,” he said. “There is too much interference as the range width is poor..,” he said.
Incidents of cross-connections are more worrying. “Sometimes when we give instructions to one pilot, it is picked up by a pilot on a different frequency,” he said. “A few months back, a pilot started descending though the ATC had instructed another plane to do so. Thankfully, we detected the movement on radar and the plane was put back on right altitude after frantic transmissions,” he said.
“Different bandwidths are allotted to ATC but if two bands are too close and there is wrong tuning, such overlapping happens,” said a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Thanks to disturbance on the bandwidth, the aircraft radio sometimes also picks up FM music channels instead of instructions.
22/10/07 Sidhartha Roy/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Oct 2007, Safety Oct 2007