TNN

New Delhi, Feb 11: Barely a day after the Mumbai near-miss, 49 people flying from Dibrugarh to Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon had a narrow escape when their plane and an IAF aircraft came within 300ft of each other over Jorhat in Assam. The pilot of IC-206 immediately dropped altitude and averted a deadly collision.

Just how close the two aircraft came is clear from the fact that aircraft must maintain a minimum distance of 1,000 feet from each other. Modern planes are equipped with traffic collision avoidance system that immediately warn of nearby traffic and accordingly advise each plane to act to prevent a collision.

"IC 206 was given clearance to climb to 18,000 feet and then descend to 16,000 feet. The IAF aircraft was given clearance to descend to 17,000 feet. When this plane was at 17,600 feet, the onboard computer on IC aircraft — that was at 17,300 feet that time — gave a warning to take evasive action for avoiding collision. He then immediately descended to 16,500 feet," an AI spokesperson said.

IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Upasani said: "Since we have not got any formal complaint, we don't know if it has actually happened."

While the Air Force pilot in the IL 76 cockpit is believed to have blamed air traffic controllers for allocating the same altitude as that of Airbus A-320, ATC officials have pointed a finger at the pilot, claiming it had remained at 17,000 ft despite being asked to fly at 19,000 ft. Who really was to blame will be determined only after the transcripts of the communication between the two pilots and the Dibrugarh and Jorhat ATCs are examined by DGCA investigators.

The AI flight on the Dibrugarh-Kolkata sector had just taken off from Dibrugarh at 11.55 am and ascended to 13,000 ft when the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) warning went off. The pilot spotted the Air Force plane and notified the ATC, seeking a different altitude.