Pilots on a Jetstar plane had to change course mid-air in what passengers say was a near miss with a Qantas plane in north Queensland, Jetstar said today
Passengers have reported that a Qantas plane and another operated by the airline’s budget carrier Jetstar came close to colliding near Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays on Saturday.
“They took appropriate action which involved a change of course to maintain separation,” Jetstar’s chief executive, Alan Joyce, said in Melbourne today.
“The pilots did the appropriate thing. They were under the direction of the Hamilton Island’s tower at all times.”
Mr Joyce said until results of the Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) review were released, he would not comment further on the details of the incident.
However, he said Jetstar always operated to the highest level of safety and was happy with the airports they operated in.
“We are happy with the airports that we operate in,” he said.
“If we believed there were any problems we wouldn’t operate into an airport.”
He also said the company was “happy with the way the air traffic control system works”.
Mr Joyce would not comment on claims by passengers that they were not given any explanation as to what was happening and were frightened.
In a statement, Qantas said at 4.20pm on Saturday, Qantas flight 1174 was approaching Hamilton Island and Jetstar flight 711 was preparing to take-off from Hamilton Island.
Qantas said both aircraft were under the control of Hamilton Island, which controls air space around Hamilton Island.
“Hamilton tower gave the incoming Qantas aircraft clearance to make a visual approach,” the statement said.
“The Qantas flight crew could see the Jetstar aircraft at all times.
“Both planes were in visual contact and there was no danger to any passengers.”
Qantas said it was gathering further details to supply to the ATSB so it could determine whether to investigate the matter.
Passengers have described the incident as frightening.
“It was a very scary experience to think what could have happened,” one passenger told ABC radio.
Another passenger Alan Bowler, who was travelling with his wife and children, said his family was thrown to the left. The horizon disappeared and they were left looking at the ocean, their hearts hammering.
“All we could see was the water shimmering, and we were getting closer to it,” Mr Bowler told Channel 9.
He said they didn’t know “what the hell was going on”.
However, passengers on the right hand side of the plane could see what happened.
“They saw (another) airplane coming straight towards our plane,” Mr Bowler said.
Fellow passengers, New Zealand tourists, Mark and Wendy Stevens, said they were travelling on the Jetstar flight which took off steeply.
“Then (the plane) just banked to the left sharp (sic) and then started to go down,” Mr Stevens said.
“I felt my stomach go down and the people said to me ‘oh did you see that?’ and I said ‘no’ and they said ‘oh it was a Qantas plane really close’.”
The passengers said they were disappointed that the airline staff failed to explain the disruption, with no message from the captain or cabin crew.
By: steve rowell - 21st July 2004 at 07:23
Air safety investigators are looking at whether a procedural misunderstanding resulted in a Jetstar Boeing 717 taking evasive action that alarmed passengers over Hamilton Island on Saturday.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau yesterday ordered a category four investigation into the event, its second lowest for probing aviation incidents.
The lower category indicates investigators do not believe the aircraft were in imminent danger of colliding, and Qantas has also rejected suggestions of a “near miss”.
“Reports to hand from both crews and air traffic control indicate there may have been some misunderstandings regarding procedures,” the ATSB said yesterday.
Jetstar Flight 711, with 124 passengers on board, banked sharply after taking off from Hamilton Island’s runway 14 for Sydney about 4.20pm and confronted a Qantas Boeing 737 on approach to the same runway. The Qantas crew reported it could see the Jetstar plane and was aware of its altitude and track. Qantas said the B717 crew had also spotted the 737.
“Both planes were in visual contact and there was no danger to any passengers,” the airline said.
It is understood the Jetstar crew elected to take evasive action after receiving a traffic advisory from the B717’s traffic collision avoidance system.
A traffic advisory warns of traffic in the area but is not as serious as a resolution advisory, which tells crew a collision is imminent and recommends what action to take.
Passengers said the Jetstar aircraft banked left after taking off steeply and started to descend as the Qantas aircraft passed close by.
The B717 crew later told the ATSB it considered the avoiding action was warranted and Jetstar chief executive Alan Joyce yesterday defended the action. He said the aircraft had been under the directions of Hamilton Island tower and had maintained separation at all times.
By: andrewm - 19th July 2004 at 11:06
Why was the airport landing an aircraft on the opposite direction to the take offs? At EGAC this can happen due to it being in a bit of a valley with good wind, is this airport in a valley?
By: Bmused55 - 19th July 2004 at 09:05
“Sic” is used to quote exactly what was said/written (e.g. in the cases of poor grammar). Or as Dictionary.com says:
“Sic – Thus; so. Used to indicate that a quoted passage, especially one containing an error or unconventional spelling, has been retained in its original form or written intentionally.”
I see!
Thank you, that has been bugging me for some time 😀
By: Pablo - 19th July 2004 at 08:54
Anyway…. I’ve noticed this in a number of written articles, what is this: “(sic)”
Used in instances like:
“Then (the plane) just banked to the left sharp (sic) and then started to go down,” Mr Stevens said”
“Sic” is used to quote exactly what was said/written (e.g. in the cases of poor grammar). Or as Dictionary.com says:
“Sic – Thus; so. Used to indicate that a quoted passage, especially one containing an error or unconventional spelling, has been retained in its original form or written intentionally.”
By: Hand87_5 - 19th July 2004 at 08:37
This happens every day.
Well trained pilots took the right decisions. That’ a non -event but the press like this when thay have nothing else to report.
By: GDL - 19th July 2004 at 08:30
While this incident might be over rated by passenger accounts, I can’t help but feel this will be the way the first QANTAS plane will go down. There have been a few ‘near miss’ incidents in the last couple of years over the Australian skies.
By: Bmused55 - 19th July 2004 at 07:55
Typical media. So two planes passed each other. Whoopty doo!
And your average passenger no bugger all about flying. Their accoutns should not be taken seriously.
Anyway…. I’ve noticed this in a number of written articles, what is this: “(sic)”
Used in instances like:
“Then (the plane) just banked to the left sharp (sic) and then started to go down,” Mr Stevens said”
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July 19, 2004 at 6:09 am