Near miss at NCL and an Air Stewardess falls out of the plane?

From the Newcastle Evening Chronicle:
Two RAF fighter planes were involved in a near miss with a passenger plane that had just taken off from Newcastle Airport.

The KLM flight to Amsterdam was moments from disaster when two RAF Hawks got too close at 15,000ft above the North Sea 30 miles south-east of the airport.

The scare sparked an “airprox” warning, which occurs when the pilot or controller is concerned that the distance between aircraft, their relative positions and their speed may compromise safety.

It is believed the two military jets had taken off from RAF Leeming, in Yorkshire and the KLM Boeing 737 had been in the air for 12 minutes when the alarm was raised.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has revealed the close call came just weeks after a report warned of a disaster waiting to happen in the North East skies.

In a statement, the CAA said: “The 737 was on route to Amsterdam and receiving an air traffic service from Newcastle when the incident took place at approximately 15,000ft.”

Investigators from the UK Airprox Board are examining the case and are expected to make a full report later this year.

A spokeswoman for Newcastle Airport said: “We can confirm a KLM 737 which took off from Newcastle was involved in an airprox with two RAF Hawks over the North Sea.

“At the moment air traffic control are awaiting the results of the investigation.”

The MoD has declined to comment on the incident while the CAA investigation is underway.

The near miss took place on June 4, just three weeks after the Government’s Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) called on the RAF to change its procedures after a series of near misses and crashes involving military planes.

The AAIB report concluded: “The concurrent use of unregulated airspace by both civilian air transport and military aircraft in the North East should be reviewed jointly at the highest level by the CAA and MoD with the aim of eliminating airproxes and potential collisions with likely large-scale loss of life.”

The warning came after an investigation into a near miss between after a RAF Tornado and a helicopter returning from a North Sea oil platform last February.

Berwick MP Alan Beith has raised questions in the Commons as to whether the MoD was doing enough to prevent potentially fatal encounters between military and civilian flights.

Following the AAIB report he said: “These recommendations reflect detailed analysis of a long series of alarming incidents and of the failure of previous measures.”

A spokesman for KLM said: “We have not been contacted as yet by the CAA. If that happens we will be fully co-operativeThe KLM flight to Amsterdam was moments from disaster when two RAF Hawks got too close at 15,000ft above the North Sea 30 miles south-east of the airport.

The scare sparked an “airprox” warning, which occurs when the pilot or controller is concerned that the distance between aircraft, their relative positions and their speed may compromise safety.

It is believed the two military jets had taken off from RAF Leeming, in Yorkshire and the KLM Boeing 737 had been in the air for 12 minutes when the alarm was raised.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has revealed the close call came just weeks after a report warned of a disaster waiting to happen in the North East skies.

In a statement, the CAA said: “The 737 was on route to Amsterdam and receiving an air traffic service from Newcastle when the incident took place at approximately 15,000ft.”

Investigators from the UK Airprox Board are examining the case and are expected to make a full report later this year.

A spokeswoman for Newcastle Airport said: “We can confirm a KLM 737 which took off from Newcastle was involved in an airprox with two RAF Hawks over the North Sea.

“At the moment air traffic control are awaiting the results of the investigation.”

The MoD has declined to comment on the incident while the CAA investigation is underway.

The near miss took place on June 4, just three weeks after the Government’s Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) called on the RAF to change its procedures after a series of near misses and crashes involving military planes.

The AAIB report concluded: “The concurrent use of unregulated airspace by both civilian air transport and military aircraft in the North East should be reviewed jointly at the highest level by the CAA and MoD with the aim of eliminating airproxes and potential collisions with likely large-scale loss of life.”

The warning came after an investigation into a near miss between after a RAF Tornado and a helicopter returning from a North Sea oil platform last February.

Berwick MP Alan Beith has raised questions in the Commons as to whether the MoD was doing enough to prevent potentially fatal encounters between military and civilian flights.

Following the AAIB report he said: “These recommendations reflect detailed analysis of a long series of alarming incidents and of the failure of previous measures.”

A spokesman for KLM said: “We have not been contacted as yet by the CAA. If that happens we will be fully co-operative.”

Stewrdess badly hurt in fall from jet

An Air Stewardess was in hospital today with serious injuries after plunging 15ft from the back door of a plane shortly before take off.

Danielle Henry, 21 of Dugdale Road, Kingston Park, Newcastle, is believed to have been helping close the back door of the Boeing 757 when she fell on to the concrete at Corfu Airport.

Holidaymakers on the Newcastle bound flight in the early hours of Monday watched in horror as Miss Henry screamed in pain.

Paramedics arrived at the scene to take over from colleagues who had rushd to help her by administering oxygen and medical supplies.

Miss Henry, who joined Thomas Cook Airlines only four months ago and was based at Newcastle, was taken to Corfu General Hospital.

She was detained there until early today when a specially chartered air ambulance flew her to Newcastle General Hospital. Her left ankle is broken and she has a broken left arm in two places which will require two operations.

Doctors are also investigating an injury to her pelvis and severe pain in her back.

Her mother Pauline Henry said this afternoon: “I am so relieved to have Danielle back in Newcastle, she hated her time spent in Corfu hospital and was in great pain.

“She may need two operations to correct her injuries which are a broken left arm and left ankle. She has also injured her pelvis and is currently suffering from a back problem which is currently under observation.”

A hospital spokeswoman confirmed Danielle’s condition is stable. The flight was delayed for 40 minutes.

Shaun Robinson, director of airline communications, said an investigation had been launched by the airline and the air accident investigation branch based in Farnborough.