Two aircraft come face to face on runway
New Delhi, Dec 28, 2016, DHNS:
DGCA orders probe into Delhi airport incident
A major aviation tragedy was averted on Tuesday morning after pilots managed to switch off the engines of two aircraft that came face to face within 40 metres on the runway of Delhi airport.
The SpiceJet aircraft found itself in front of an incoming IndiGo Airbus A320 in the same taxi way, apparently due to a miscommunication from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC), sources said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an inquiry into the incident. While the IndiGo plane arriving from Lucknow had over 176 passengers on board, the Hyderabad-bound SpiceJet aircraft was carrying 187 passengers. Both the airlines said at no point of time, the safety of fliers was in danger.
“SpiceJet flight SG 123 operating Delhi-Hyderabad was following ATC instructions at all times at the Delhi airport. While taxiing, the SpiceJet crew observed another aircraft on the same taxiway in the opposite direction. Acting promptly, the SpiceJet crew immediately stopped the aircraft and intimated the ATC,” SpiceJet said in a statement.
IndiGo said it was following all ATC instructions at the time of the incident. “The IndiGo flight 6E-769 (Lucknow-Delhi), while taxiing in at Delhi airport on Tuesday morning, observed another aircraft in front of it. Following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the Captain-in-Command took the decision of switching off the engine and reported the incident to ATC,” IndiGo said in a separate statement.
Official sources said the flight movement in the airport was affected after runway visibility range had dropped to below normal.
The SpiceJet flight was waiting for clearance from the ATC for about 90 minutes.The pilot then requested the ATC to allow the aircraft to leave the holding area for refuelling as it had burnt a lot of fuel.
The SpiceJet pilot saw the IndiGo aircraft on the same taxi way, sources said.Both the aircraft were halted by the pilots.
The SpiceJet aircraft found itself in front of an incoming IndiGo Airbus A320 in the same taxi way, apparently due to a miscommunication from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC), sources said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an inquiry into the incident. While the IndiGo plane arriving from Lucknow had over 176 passengers on board, the Hyderabad-bound SpiceJet aircraft was carrying 187 passengers. Both the airlines said at no point of time, the safety of fliers was in danger.
“SpiceJet flight SG 123 operating Delhi-Hyderabad was following ATC instructions at all times at the Delhi airport. While taxiing, the SpiceJet crew observed another aircraft on the same taxiway in the opposite direction. Acting promptly, the SpiceJet crew immediately stopped the aircraft and intimated the ATC,” SpiceJet said in a statement.
IndiGo said it was following all ATC instructions at the time of the incident. “The IndiGo flight 6E-769 (Lucknow-Delhi), while taxiing in at Delhi airport on Tuesday morning, observed another aircraft in front of it. Following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the Captain-in-Command took the decision of switching off the engine and reported the incident to ATC,” IndiGo said in a separate statement.
Official sources said the flight movement in the airport was affected after runway visibility range had dropped to below normal.
The SpiceJet flight was waiting for clearance from the ATC for about 90 minutes.The pilot then requested the ATC to allow the aircraft to leave the holding area for refuelling as it had burnt a lot of fuel.
The SpiceJet pilot saw the IndiGo aircraft on the same taxi way, sources said.Both the aircraft were halted by the pilots.
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