A Qantas flight was cleared to cross a runway at Sydney Airport in front of another of the airline’s flights that had just come in to land in a near miss now being investigated by aviation authorities.
Investigators are gathering evidence regarding the breakdown of co-ordination involving a regional Qantas flight arriving from Canberra and another Qantas flight from New Zealand just before 8.15am last Monday, July 27.
No one was injured but the Australian Transport Safety Bureau considers the breakdown of co-ordination a serious incident.
The Boeing 737 arriving from Queenstown was cleared to cross the runway while the Bombardier DHC-8 from Canberra was in the runway’s landing roll, the ATSB said in a summary of the incident.
“[Air traffic control] detected the conflict and advised both crews, with the 737 stopping after the holding point,” the bureau said.
Investigators are interviewing the parties involved and reviewing recorded data as the probe continues. It will notify them of any critical safety issues identified during the investigation, the bureau said.
A Qantas spokesperson said both the airline’s planes had been cleared to proceed by air traffic control.
“We will support the ATSB in the investigation,” they said.
Airservices Australia, which operates air traffic control at the airport, said it is also assisting the bureau’s inquiry.
“Safety is Airservices’ top priority,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“Given the matter is currently under investigation, there is nothing further we can add at this stage.”
Concerns over air traffic control at Sydney Airport emerged earlier this year after the cancellation of more than 50 flights on January 15 stranded about 10,000 passengers, an issue attributed to staff on leave at short notice which prompted a meeting between airlines representatives and the boss of Airservices Australia.
“We recognise resilience remains below where it needs to be in some locations, particularly Sydney,” an AirServices spokesperson said in a statement following that meeting.
Unplanned staffing shortages at Airservices Australia in Sydney also caused disruptions in September and November, prompting flight delays.
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Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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