Mumbai: An Air India (AI) aircraft that was less than two minutes from touchdown at the Mumbai airport was told by air traffic control (ATC) to pull up and do a go-around after ATC noticed that an IndiGo plane on the ground, waiting to depart, had begun moving to enter the runway.
The civil aviation regulator is investigating the incident, which occurred around 9.45pm on Tuesday, during the evening peak hour. The congested Mumbai airport handles about 950 takeoffs and landings in 24 hours, all on a single operational runway. Since May 17, a navigation aid called the Instrument Landing System (ILS), which eases the workload of air traffic controllers and pilots during landing, has remained switched off for an upgrade.
9.42pm on Tuesday, an Alliance Air ATR aircraft for Bhavnagar was holding on taxiway N3, while the IndiGo A320 aircraft for Kolkata was holding on taxiway N1. Both aircraft were holding short of runway 27. Both pilots were awaiting ATC’s instruction to enter the runway for takeoff. At the same time, an AI A321 aircraft flying in from Ahmedabad was on final approach to land. ATC asked the Alliance Air commander to enter the runway, line up and wait. Pilots read back instructions given to them from ATC. “But both pilots read back the instruction, one after another,” said a source. Seconds later, ATC saw both aircraft moving to enter the runway. “ATC asked the IndiGo commander whether his A320 had left its holding point on taxiway N1.
The pilot replied in the affirmative and said the controller had instructed him to do so.” Meanwhile, the Alliance Air aircraft was given takeoff clearance, while the IndiGo aircraft was asked to hold. But by then the Air India aircraft on approach to land was about 4km from the runway’s threshold. ATC instructed the AI commander to do a go-around, climb and turn left. “When the Alliance Air flight was passing 800 feet, the AI aircraft was at 1,400 feet, about 5km behind. The AI aircraft then turned left as instructed by ATC. A minimum vertical separation of about 1,000 feet and horizontal separation of about 5.5 km is required to be maintained between two aircraft,” said the source. RK Saxena, general manager (air traffic management), Mumbai airport denied that there was a breach of separation between the Alliance Air and Air India aircraft at any point. “Both aircraft were in visual contact of the tower controller.
Aircraft that go around turn left over the runway, while the one that takes off flies straight ahead. There was no question of a breach of separation,” he said.
26/05/18 Manju V/Times of India
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The civil aviation regulator is investigating the incident, which occurred around 9.45pm on Tuesday, during the evening peak hour. The congested Mumbai airport handles about 950 takeoffs and landings in 24 hours, all on a single operational runway. Since May 17, a navigation aid called the Instrument Landing System (ILS), which eases the workload of air traffic controllers and pilots during landing, has remained switched off for an upgrade.
9.42pm on Tuesday, an Alliance Air ATR aircraft for Bhavnagar was holding on taxiway N3, while the IndiGo A320 aircraft for Kolkata was holding on taxiway N1. Both aircraft were holding short of runway 27. Both pilots were awaiting ATC’s instruction to enter the runway for takeoff. At the same time, an AI A321 aircraft flying in from Ahmedabad was on final approach to land. ATC asked the Alliance Air commander to enter the runway, line up and wait. Pilots read back instructions given to them from ATC. “But both pilots read back the instruction, one after another,” said a source. Seconds later, ATC saw both aircraft moving to enter the runway. “ATC asked the IndiGo commander whether his A320 had left its holding point on taxiway N1.
The pilot replied in the affirmative and said the controller had instructed him to do so.” Meanwhile, the Alliance Air aircraft was given takeoff clearance, while the IndiGo aircraft was asked to hold. But by then the Air India aircraft on approach to land was about 4km from the runway’s threshold. ATC instructed the AI commander to do a go-around, climb and turn left. “When the Alliance Air flight was passing 800 feet, the AI aircraft was at 1,400 feet, about 5km behind. The AI aircraft then turned left as instructed by ATC. A minimum vertical separation of about 1,000 feet and horizontal separation of about 5.5 km is required to be maintained between two aircraft,” said the source. RK Saxena, general manager (air traffic management), Mumbai airport denied that there was a breach of separation between the Alliance Air and Air India aircraft at any point. “Both aircraft were in visual contact of the tower controller.
Aircraft that go around turn left over the runway, while the one that takes off flies straight ahead. There was no question of a breach of separation,” he said.
26/05/18 Manju V/Times of India
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