Canadian Press
May 10, 2007 at 3:52 PM EDT
VANCOUVER — The Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether a language barrier played a role in an incident in the skies near Vancouver International Airport in which two airliners came too close for comfort.
A Philippine Airlines Airbus 340 approaching the airport last week descended below its prescribed altitude of 2,400 metres, sending controllers scrambling to move other air traffic out of the way.
TSB investigator Damian Lawson confirmed the flight from Manila came within 2.9 kilometres laterally and 244 metres vertically of a Delta Airlines flight.
Mr. Lawson says there was never any risk of a collision, but the crew of the Philippine jet did not talk to controllers for two minutes and 45 seconds.
Roughly three minutes into the incident the Philippines jet climbed to where it was supposed to be.
Mr. Lawson characterizes the incident as a miscommunication between the tower and the pilot and the investigation is continuing.
By: steve rowell - 11th May 2007 at 01:22
I often listen to my scanner on the Melbourne frequencies and the mispronunciation and understanding between the tower and some of the Asian airlines is quite frightening
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May 10, 2007 at 10:06 pm