Kolkata: An apparent mistake by an air traffic controller in Kolkata almost led to a mid-air collision between a United Airways Bangladesh aircraft and a Saudi Arabian Airlines plane in Kolkata on Monday.
Captain Ariful Islam of the United Airways aircraft said his plane came within the “visual distance” of the other aircraft. He had 148 passengers on board his MD 83 flying to Dhaka from Muscat.
“When my plane was about 270 miles off Dhaka and flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet in Kolkata airspace, the Kolkata Air Traffic Control told me to descend to 29,000 feet,” the pilot told this newspaper yesterday.
As he started complying with the directive, the aircraft's TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) went off and alerted him. The sky was clear and he could see a plane approaching his aircraft just to his left.
“I informed Air Traffic Control that an aircraft was approaching me at the altitude of 32,000 feet. The controller initially said he didn't see any, but moments later he said there was only one aircraft and told me to ascend to 33,000 feet,” mentioned Ariful.
“By the time I started ascending, an aircraft, probably a Boeing 777 of Saudi Arabian Airlines, flew past below my aircraft. It was around 8:30am,” he added.
13/08/14 The Daily Star
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Captain Ariful Islam of the United Airways aircraft said his plane came within the “visual distance” of the other aircraft. He had 148 passengers on board his MD 83 flying to Dhaka from Muscat.
“When my plane was about 270 miles off Dhaka and flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet in Kolkata airspace, the Kolkata Air Traffic Control told me to descend to 29,000 feet,” the pilot told this newspaper yesterday.
As he started complying with the directive, the aircraft's TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) went off and alerted him. The sky was clear and he could see a plane approaching his aircraft just to his left.
“I informed Air Traffic Control that an aircraft was approaching me at the altitude of 32,000 feet. The controller initially said he didn't see any, but moments later he said there was only one aircraft and told me to ascend to 33,000 feet,” mentioned Ariful.
“By the time I started ascending, an aircraft, probably a Boeing 777 of Saudi Arabian Airlines, flew past below my aircraft. It was around 8:30am,” he added.
13/08/14 The Daily Star
