Mumbai: On August 1, two SpiceJet flights - Hyderabad-Indore and Delhi-Indore - came dangerously close to each other in the air as they prepared to land at Indore airport, setting off a collusion avoidance warning.
The Hyderabad-Indore flight (SJ 1053) was piloted by Captain R Bhalla, while the other (SJ 2225) was operated by Captain Steven Ashley. An inquiry into the near-disaster by the Air Investigation Team in Mumbai has revealed that though Captain Bhalla was at fault - he tried to jump his turn to land - he held Captain Steven responsible before the aviation regulator DGCA.
In a call to the ATC official’s landline after the incident, Captain Bhalla tried to discredit expat pilots by suggesting that they have little brain. “Please remember these foreign pilots… their minds are a little… you should give them instructions slowly and twice.” He repeated his unfair assessment before the ATC official responded: “Okay.”
According to the source, the SpiceJet flight operated by Captian Steven was on the final approach when suddenly Captain Bhalla came in close above Steven’s aircraft in a bid to land first. “A collusion avoidance warning was raised in both the aircraft before Captain Steven pulled back his plane to avoid a disaster,” the source said.
Examination of the two aircraft’s digital flight data recorders have confirmed that Captain Steven had followed correct instructions, while Captain Bhalla wrongly descended on the final approach, the AIT source claimed.
“Instead of criticising the Indian pilot for indiscipline, the air traffic controller appears to have sided with him,” he said. “After the incident, the official spoke to the foreign pilot and made him believe it was all his fault.
08/01/13 Bipin Kumar Singh/Mumbai Mirror
