Aviation
regulator DGCA said that an alert pilot in the Vistara aircraft crossing the
runway alerted Air Traffic Control and another Vistara flight was ordered to
abort take-off, averting a major disaster.
A major tragedy was averted at the Delhi's
Indira Gandhi International Airport on August 23, 2023, when two Vistara
flights came close to each other within 2 km, that too on the same runway. The
two planes were carrying more than 300 passengers combined and could have
turned disastrous had it not been for the alertness of the pilot of one of the
Vistara flights. As per a report on ANI, the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) has de-rostered an air traffic controller
for inadvertently giving clearance for crossing and take off of two different
aircraft on the same runway at the same time.
What Exactly
Happened?
As per media and wire reports, the ATC at Delhi
Airport cleared a Vistara aircraft for take-off while another plane was in the
process of landing, placing the two flights on a potential collision
trajectory. The incident involved Vistara Flight UK725 en route from Delhi
to Bagdogra on Wednesday morning, initiating take-off from a recently
inaugurated fourth runway of the Delhi Airport.
On the other hand, a
Vistara plane VT1926 travelling from Ahmedabad to Delhi was concluding its
landing on a parallel runway 29L and was instructed by the air traffic
controller to cross runway 29R, moving towards the runway's end.
"Momentarily, tower controller forgot this crossing and issued take off
clearance to another Vistara flight VTI725 (Delhi–Bagdogra) from runway
29R."
"On
realisation of the error based on input from VTI926, the tower controller
instructed VTI725 to cancel take off," the official said. The take-off was
swiftly cancelled following directives from the Air Traffic Control (ATC).
"Swift corrective action followed as the tower controller promptly
directed the Delhi-Bagdogra flight to abort its take-off," said an
official.
Female Pilot Saved
The Day
As per
IANS, the female captain of the Ahmedabad to Delhi flight, which was on
its way to landing, noticed that the Flight UK725 from Delhi to
Bagdogra was given a go ahead by the ATC, as the parallel flight was
getting ready to take-off. "She subsequently informed the ATC about it,
averting a major tragedy," the sources added. A media report reveals the
name of the female captain as 45-year-old Captain Sonu Gill on the
Ahmedabad-Delhi flight.
The
planes were only 1.8 km, or 1,800 meters apart, and if the pilot had not warned
ATC of the presence of the other plane, the outcome could have been disastrous.
The Delhi-Bagdogra flight was immediately retreated from the active runway
after being ordered to abort its take-off and returned to its parking bay,
where the plane was refuelled to ensure it had enough fuel for the second
take-off attempt.
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Credit: ZEE NEWS
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