India
Kathmandu near miss: ‘Questioning’ of Air India woman captain by ATC officials highly ‘irregular’, fume airline pilots | India News
[ad_1]
ZURICH: India has asked Nepal aviation authorities to share details about the breach of seperation that occured between an Air India and a Nepal Airlines flights near Kathmandu on March 24, 2023. The same is still awaited, say senior officials. Pilots in Air India are, however, extremely upset at the ‘unusual’ step taken by Kathmandu air traffic control (ATC) once the aircraft landed. The Airbus A-319 flight was operated from Delhi by two very senior captains, one woman and a man.
“On landing, the woman pilot who was co-pilot on this flight (though also a senior captain) was asked to come to meet ATC officials. Now if there has been an airmiss or air proximity incident, the same has to be investigated by regulatory authorities. The lady pilot offered to speak over telephone but she was asked to come in person. In a dingy room, five officials spoke to her about the incident. This is highly improper,” said multiple pilots.
Pilots of Air India’s flight from (AI 213) have reportedly informed authorities that the Kathmandu air traffic control (ATC) had asked them to descend from 19,000 feet to 15,000 feet — where the Nepal Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur (RNA 416) was flying and then the two aircraft had to year apart to avoid a collision.
Indian aviation authorities have asked Nepal to submit to share details of this incident, along with ATC transcript and evidence. “What is certain is that there has been an incident. Whose fault led to it has to be ascertained — whether ATC gave wrong instructions to one or both the aircraft and/or one or both flights’ pilots misunderstood the instructions. This calls for an investigation, so that corrective training can be given to the one/s at fault,” said people in the know.
The Air India crew were at 19,000 feet when they began their descended to 15,000 feet. “The ATC did not ask them why were they descending as they passed from 19 to 18 to 17 to 16 and then 15,000 feet when the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alarms went off in both the planes,” said people in the know. Then Air India ascended sharply to 16,500 feet and Nepal Airlines descended to 13,500 feet to get away from each other.
“This is a matter of probe. Recently a foreign airline in India was involved in an air prox. India sent the details of the case to the regulator of that country and then corrective training was imparted to the crew,” said people in the know.
Three air traffic controllers (ATCOs) at Kathmandu Airport have been suspended for this air prox. The Air India pilots operating this flight, AI 213, have been off rostered (taken off flying duty) pending investigation.
The collision avoidance system issues two types of advisories to pilots: first a traffic advisory (TA) to give an advance warning to crew of two planes that they are headed in the same direction and in second stage resolution advisory (RA) that asks crew to take evasive action to avoid mid-air collisions.
“On landing, the woman pilot who was co-pilot on this flight (though also a senior captain) was asked to come to meet ATC officials. Now if there has been an airmiss or air proximity incident, the same has to be investigated by regulatory authorities. The lady pilot offered to speak over telephone but she was asked to come in person. In a dingy room, five officials spoke to her about the incident. This is highly improper,” said multiple pilots.
Pilots of Air India’s flight from (AI 213) have reportedly informed authorities that the Kathmandu air traffic control (ATC) had asked them to descend from 19,000 feet to 15,000 feet — where the Nepal Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur (RNA 416) was flying and then the two aircraft had to year apart to avoid a collision.
Indian aviation authorities have asked Nepal to submit to share details of this incident, along with ATC transcript and evidence. “What is certain is that there has been an incident. Whose fault led to it has to be ascertained — whether ATC gave wrong instructions to one or both the aircraft and/or one or both flights’ pilots misunderstood the instructions. This calls for an investigation, so that corrective training can be given to the one/s at fault,” said people in the know.
The Air India crew were at 19,000 feet when they began their descended to 15,000 feet. “The ATC did not ask them why were they descending as they passed from 19 to 18 to 17 to 16 and then 15,000 feet when the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alarms went off in both the planes,” said people in the know. Then Air India ascended sharply to 16,500 feet and Nepal Airlines descended to 13,500 feet to get away from each other.
“This is a matter of probe. Recently a foreign airline in India was involved in an air prox. India sent the details of the case to the regulator of that country and then corrective training was imparted to the crew,” said people in the know.
Three air traffic controllers (ATCOs) at Kathmandu Airport have been suspended for this air prox. The Air India pilots operating this flight, AI 213, have been off rostered (taken off flying duty) pending investigation.
The collision avoidance system issues two types of advisories to pilots: first a traffic advisory (TA) to give an advance warning to crew of two planes that they are headed in the same direction and in second stage resolution advisory (RA) that asks crew to take evasive action to avoid mid-air collisions.
#Kathmandu #Questioning #Air #India #woman #captain #ATC #officials #highly #irregular #fume #airline #pilots #India #News
