DNA

New Delhi, Sep 18: An Indian Air Force plane carrying Sonia Gandhi and other VIPs on board came dangerously close to a Virgin Atlantic aircraft on September 10, when the Congress president and UPA chairperson was on her way to Kashmir. The Virgin flight from London was on its way to Delhi.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a high-level probe to track down possible communication lapses that may have led to a dangerous situation when Gandhi, home minister Shivraj Patil and others were airborne. #

Air traffic controllers (ATCs) detected the two planes just six nautical miles apart, and ordered the Virgin aircraft away from the VIP aircraft. The guidelines stipulate that there must be a gap of at least 10 miles separating two aircraft in flight.

Aviation ministry sources told DNA that the incident took place immediately after the IAF Boeing took off from the Palam Technical Area of theIndira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi around 11 am on September 10. The aircraft was over Punjab when the incident took place.

“Virgin Atlantic’s Delhi-bound flight came too close to the IAF aircraft, which was 100 nautical miles away from Delhi airspace and flying over Halwara near Ludhiana city,” said a senior aviation ministry official.