http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail....;d_str=20060803
Civil Aviation chiefs probe close-flying jets case
The Civil Aviation Department is investigating an incident Saturday in which a Dragonair Airbus and a Northwest Airlines Boeing 744, both bound for Japan's Narita Airport from Hong Kong, came within a vertical distance of about 300 feet [90 meters] and a horizontal distance of 3.5 nautical miles of one another.
Justin Mitchell
Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Civil Aviation Department is investigating an incident Saturday in which a Dragonair Airbus and a Northwest Airlines Boeing 744, both bound for Japan's Narita Airport from Hong Kong, came within a vertical distance of about 300 feet [90 meters] and a horizontal distance of 3.5 nautical miles of one another.
"There was no risk of collision," said a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Department. "But the safety standard is 1,000 feet vertically and five nautical miles horizontally."
An air traffic controller who was on duty on the day of the incident was relieved of his duties, but has since returned to work.
"It's standard procedure to relieve the person on duty if something like this occurs," said the CAD spokesman. "We check them to see if he or she is able to perform up to standard."
The controller was given a confirmation test and cleared for return to duty Tuesday, he said.
The CAD spokesman said the planes took off within two minutes of one another on Saturday morning and the incident occurred about 100 nautical miles east of Hong Kong.
The Northwest aircraft "turned left" to avoid bad weather without clearance from Hong Kong air traffic control, the spokesman said.
"It flew into the path of the Dragonair plane which was trying to climb to 37,000 feet. The Dragonair pilot could see the Northwest aircraft on his radar and the air traffic controller also saw the planes getting too close and told both pilots to separate apart."
Both planes landed at Narita without further incident and on time, he said.
All because a NW pilot acted without the proper clearance to avoid bad weather! I guess that's an example of what happens when you "use some creativity" or "think outside the box" as some posters to this forum would advocate.
Civil Aviation chiefs probe close-flying jets case
The Civil Aviation Department is investigating an incident Saturday in which a Dragonair Airbus and a Northwest Airlines Boeing 744, both bound for Japan's Narita Airport from Hong Kong, came within a vertical distance of about 300 feet [90 meters] and a horizontal distance of 3.5 nautical miles of one another.
Justin Mitchell
Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Civil Aviation Department is investigating an incident Saturday in which a Dragonair Airbus and a Northwest Airlines Boeing 744, both bound for Japan's Narita Airport from Hong Kong, came within a vertical distance of about 300 feet [90 meters] and a horizontal distance of 3.5 nautical miles of one another.
"There was no risk of collision," said a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Department. "But the safety standard is 1,000 feet vertically and five nautical miles horizontally."
An air traffic controller who was on duty on the day of the incident was relieved of his duties, but has since returned to work.
"It's standard procedure to relieve the person on duty if something like this occurs," said the CAD spokesman. "We check them to see if he or she is able to perform up to standard."
The controller was given a confirmation test and cleared for return to duty Tuesday, he said.
The CAD spokesman said the planes took off within two minutes of one another on Saturday morning and the incident occurred about 100 nautical miles east of Hong Kong.
The Northwest aircraft "turned left" to avoid bad weather without clearance from Hong Kong air traffic control, the spokesman said.
"It flew into the path of the Dragonair plane which was trying to climb to 37,000 feet. The Dragonair pilot could see the Northwest aircraft on his radar and the air traffic controller also saw the planes getting too close and told both pilots to separate apart."
Both planes landed at Narita without further incident and on time, he said.
All because a NW pilot acted without the proper clearance to avoid bad weather! I guess that's an example of what happens when you "use some creativity" or "think outside the box" as some posters to this forum would advocate.
