Close call over Arabian Sea: Qatar Airways, EL AL planes come within 1 minute of each other | Business News

The AAIB has released a preliminary report with details of the incident and the investigation process. The final investigation report is likely to be released within a couple of months, per sources in the know.

Airprox is a situation in which the distance between aircraft as well as their relative positions and speed have been such that the safety of the aircraft involved may have been compromised. It is not clear yet whether the aircraft involved in this incident were on a collision course. Airprox incidents are classified into three categories—serious risk of collision, safety of the aircraft may have been compromised, and no risk of collision.

Although both the aircraft were not headed to or from India, the AAIB is conducting the investigation as the area where the incident occurred falls under the Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIR) where air traffic services are managed by the Mumbai air traffic control (ATC). While the probe is underway, two air traffic controllers on duty at the time of the incident were off-rostered as per the protocol in such cases and sent for corrective training, per sources.

EL AL’s Boieng 777-200 aircraft was operating a scheduled flight from Israel to Thailand’s capital Bangkok, while the Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER aircraft was operating a flight from Doha to Male in the Maldives.

“Both aircraft were on their designated flight route and were at the same flight level F350 (35,000 feet). ELY081 (EL AL flight) was following Airway L875 and QTR8E (Qatar Airways flight) was following Airway L894. The airway L875 and L894 intersect each other at a Waypoint ‘GOLEM’ in Mumbai FIR. The breach of standard separation took place between the aircraft, at waypoint ‘GOLEM’ in Mumbai FIR. NO TA/RA alert (alerts generated by Traffic Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS) was generated in aircraft,” the AAIB noted in a preliminary report on the incident.

According to experts, the TCAS alerts are sounded only when two aircraft come in close proximity and there is a threat of collision. The fact that the alerts were not generated in either aircraft cockpit could possibly mean that while the planes did come too close for comfort, there was no risk of collision, a source said, but added that details will only be clear once the final probe report is out.

The AAIB investigation team has visited the Oceanic Control Centre, South Subsector—which handles air traffic in Mumbai FIR—to assess the situation and to collect evidence. ATC tapes and recordings of the automation system have been examined, and initial statements of various officials have been recorded.

“Based on the statements, initial phase of interviews of three involved ATCOs (air traffic control officers) have been conducted. One of the concerned trainee’s statement was also recorded by the Investigation team. Another of the concerned trainee’s statement has been recorded by the Investigation team at Delhi,” the preliminary report said on the progress of the investigation.

The AAIB has also received documents and data for the two flights from both the airlines, and these are being analysed as part of the probe.