Summary
- A near miss incident at Sydney airport prompted a redesign of flight paths and highlighted issues of safety in procedures and training for controllers.
- The incident involved a Qantas 737 and A330 coming dangerously close to one another on account of a scarcity of separation and miscommunication.
- The Australian Transport Safety Bureau identified several contributing aspects, including the 737’s speed, lack of modification to the A330’s flight path, and inadequate prompts from the teacher.
A deeper investigation that saw a near miss above Sydney airport has meant flight paths for Australia’s busiest airport were redesigned. This all occurred within the early hours of August fifth, 2019, when a Qantas Boeing 737 approached the airport runway while its brother, a Qantas A330, was lined up and awaiting clearance on the identical runway.
At Sydney Kingsford Smith International (SYD), a Dash 8 had just landed and was taxiing off the runway when air traffic control was training a professional aerodrome controller under the supervision of an instructor, then issued the A330 clearance for departure.
Photo: axell.rf | Shutterstock
With the A330 following instruction, the supervisor in ATC then re-assessed that there wouldn’t be enough separation between the incoming 737 and departing A330 and requested the narrowbody to abort and go around.
Not enough room
The 737 began climbing from the approach but didn’t make a required right turn because it climbed 600ft, as per the missed approach procedure. At the identical time, the A330 followed its standard instrument departure and turned right shortly after its takeoff.
Photo: Qantas
Moreover, no safety alert or motion advice was given to either crew onboard the respective aircraft. The controller didn’t modify the A330’s flight path, which might have increased the space required for secure passage from the 737.
Lastly, it was also identified that even tho the trainee controller must have been in a position to work without intervention, the leading instructor didn’t provide sufficient prompts to avoid collision or intervene.
Sources: Australian Transport Safety Bureau