Turn without permission - did it happen to you too?
Hi everyone,
I was just wondering if it ever happened to anyone else, that a flight turned from the assigned track (own nav to a point) without any permission.
It happened to me two times in the last 24 hours, thank God there was no traffic in the immediate vicinity, but it was quite a surprise.
The second one was more nasty, since the pilot decided to turn AFTER having been transferred to the next sector's frequency, but BEFORE calling in there. He just called in there on his avoiding heading (a turn of 30-40 degrees!), going straight into the Paris departures - fortunately there were no AMS departures climbing there.
In both cases, the pilot said it was due to weather. I don't think this was safe, and I explained it to the pilot yesterday already, that at least they should ask before they turn, but it seems like more and more that it's a common practice at this certain major European airline.
I've made an official complaint through the appropriate channels, but I'm wondering if it ever happened to any of you too.
Cheers!