Alvorlig luftfartshendelse i Australia - Australian Aviation

 

PACKED VIRGIN ATR72 CAME 22M FROM CRASHING INTO PA-28 MID-AIR

written by Adam Thorn November 13, 2020

A Virgin Australia ATR 72-600, which operates to a number of regional destinations in NSW. (Seth Jaworski)

A Virgin Australia ATR72 carrying 66 passengers came within just 23 metres of crashing into a PA-28 flown by a student pilot.

An ATSB report said the aircraft were “so close” that the smaller aircraft dramatically lowered its nose to avoid a collision on 19 October last year near Albury, NSW.

Incredibly, the investigation also revealed air traffic controllers did not even notice the incident at the time, and said pilots on both aircraft made “incorrect assumptions” and must take responsibility.

A tragedy was only avoided when pilots on the larger aircraft received an automatic collision-avoidance alert and instigated manoeuvres.

“Virgin Australia and Airservices Australia have commenced discussions to convene a cross industry stakeholder meeting to include operators, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the ATSB and the broader industry to discuss the ongoing risk to operations at non controlled and Class D airports, such as Albury,” said the ATSB’s director of transport safety, Stuart Macleod.