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New air software after near miss

A near miss between two planes ‘prompted a software upgrade’
Computer systems which direct Britain’s air traffic are to be changed after a near-miss between two passenger planes over Wales, according to reports.
A mix-up at the national air traffic control centre at Swanwick in Hampshire put the two jets on a collision course in October 2002, Computer Weekly said.

A cockpit collision avoidance system alerted the Virgin pilot to the danger and he lifted his plane clear.

Air traffic control bosses said new software will be in place next month.

‘High’ risk

Computer Weekly said the changes were prompted by the near-miss 15 months ago, between a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 and a Delta Airlines Boeing 767.

It said the controller thought his instructions to the pilots of the aircraft would direct the planes away from each other.

The confusion could not repeat and we have now strengthened that by going through this process with the software change

Paul Louden
Swanwick manager

But the opposite happened, because he had mistakenly transposed identifying data on the positions of the two aircraft.

As he tried to force the jets apart he brought them closer together, the magazine said.

The publication added that the pilot of the Virgin plane, flying into Heathrow from New York, assessed the risk of a collision with the Boeing 767 as “high”.

At one point, the Virgin plane was just 100 ft above the 767 and separated laterally by 1.8 nautical miles – in breach of the legal minimum distance between aircraft.

National Air Traffic Services (Nats) – which manages the skies above Britain – brought in new procedures after the near-miss, Computer Weekly said.

‘No repeat’

Nats said that software changes would be made next month following “an extensive design and test programme”.

The general manager at Swanwick, Paul Louden, told BBC Radio Five Live the near-miss happened when a controller became confused about the position of the two planes.

He said changes had been made immediately after the incident to make sure that there could be no repeat.

“We have set in train a procdeural system so that actually the confusion could not repeat and we have now strengthened that by going through this process with the software change.”

A row is set to break out over plans to change East Midlands Airport’s name to incorporate Nottingham.
In a controversial move, the airport will now be known as Nottingham East Midlands Airport.

This is despite the airport lying in Leicestershire and the nearest major city being Derby.

Airport managers have been under pressure to change the name because the term East Midlands is considered too vague and not recognised overseas.

One Derby MP has already crticised the move for undermining attempts to give the East Midlands a stronger identity.

The airport is located at Castle Donington in Leicestershire but has a Derbyshire postcode and is listed by the Air Transport Association as being in Nottingham.

Time and time and time again, Nottingham was the name that came up

Graham Keddie, Airport Managing Director

Notts view: Have your say on the name
Leics view: Vote or send us a comment
Each city had worried that it might suffer if the airport is named after one of the others.

Managing Director Graham Keddie made the announcement on Tuesday, emphasising the decision came after long deliberations.

He said that exhaustive research had shown Nottingham had by far the highest international profile of any East Midlands city.

He added: “Nottingham is the only city in the region that is widely known. We conducted months of research, including talking to passengers from overseas.

“Time and time and time again, Nottingham was the name that came up.

“I’m afraid Leicester and Derby just didn’t register.

“Maybe it’s the Hollywood effect and the myth of Robin Hood, or perhaps it is because Nottingham is the biggest city we have in terms of size.”

The MP for Derby North, Bob Laxton, described the name change as ‘daft’ and ‘confusing’.

He felt the move it would undermine the work that has been carried out to ensure people further afield do know the position of the East Midlands

He said: “One of the things a number of people and organisations have been trying to do is get some identity for the East Midlands.

“This is hardly going to help. I just think the whole thing is daft.”

Budget airline BMIbaby, based at the airport, had campaigned for a change and had already used Robin Hood in its advertising.

Airport staff said the change would take effect immediately but it could be a little while before passengers began to see this.

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