Mumbai, May 31: A possible collision between two
aircraft ferrying 220 passengers was averted at the Mumbai
airport as the pilots aborted take off at the last minute
after allegedly being given the green signal to become
airborne from "diagonal" runways simultaneously here on Sunday.
"At 7.45 am, two departing aircraft, one of Air India
and another of Jet Airways, aborted take off from the cross
runway," Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson
said.
There were 120 passengers including four children on
board Jet Airway's Mumbai-Kolkata flight while Air India's
Mumbai-New Delhi-Sanghai flight had 104 passengers.
Air India spokesperson said that the ATC had
instructed pilots of both the flights to take off.
"The two aircraft were at the diagonal runways. They
were given clear to take off by the ATC that subsequently
asked to abort the take off," Air India spokesperson said.
ATC officials were not available for comment.
"Our pilot was given permission to take off from
runway (14/32 cross runway). The Air India pilot of flight 348
misunderstood signal and started taking off from the main
runway (09/27)," a Jet Airways spokesperson said here.
The ATC asked Air India Pilot to abort the take off,
the spokesperson said, adding "our pilot also applied breaks
as a precautionary measure".
Inquiry ordered
An inquiry has been ordered by
the Directorate General of Civil Aviation into the near-miss
incident.
DGCA officials were awaiting data from the cockpit
voice recorder as well the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the
Air India and Jet Airways aircraft to ascertain the
communication between their cockpit and the Air Traffic
Controllers (ATC), official sources here said.
The inquiry would ascertain reasons why the Air India
aircraft started rolling even as the Jet plane was given the
clearance by the ATC. The Jet Airways plane was asked to abort
take off.
However, sources maintained that at no point of
time was there a possibility of a risk of the two aircraft
colliding as they were located faraway from each other.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, May 31, 2009, 14:01