To All:
Here is latest news from Moscow ( not BBC story!):
MOSCOW, JULY 6, RIA NOVOSTI -The Swiss air traffic controller made gross errors while controlling the Boeing -757 and the TU-154 airplanes. On Saturday, head of the Russian State Civil Aviation Service and first deputy transport minister Aleksander Neradko reported to journalists details of the aircraft accident which happened in the skies over Germany. According to him, available results of the investigation show that the air traffic controller of the Zurich airport allowed the Boeing-757, flying at the level of 260 to climb to level 360 (10,970 meters) without paying attention to the TU-154 aircraft which entered the Zurich responsibility area at the level similar to the Boeing's and was flying the crossing route. Neradko said that "to all appearances, the controller did not notice that, probably being distracted by something else." According to him, 4 airplanes were controlled by him at the Zurich airport and he was operating two display monitors.
The first control message to the crew of the TU-154 aircraft arrived 44 seconds prior to the collision. The message contained the instruction to descend to level 350 and 6 seconds later the controller repeated his command. At the same time, flight recorders on board the TU-154 aircraft confirm that 10 seconds after the receipt of first message the crew reported that it started descending. After that the controller again repeated his instruction "but mixed up the side from which the Boeing was approaching: he stated that it was the right side though in reality it was the left one." The air traffic controller's dictaphone registered the Boeing's voice message that the aircraft was descending according to instructions of the airborne collision avoidance system. At that moment, the Boeing descended by 200 meters and turned out to be at the altitude which the Russian aircraft was already flying.
Neradko also reported that the collision avoidance system at the Zurich airport "was withdrawn from the program". He stated that "if it worked, it would have warned the controller of the danger earlier." In his turn, Sergei Frank, Russia's transport minister, told journalists that the tragic situation in the air was evident 5 minutes before the collision. According to Neradko, the investigating commission, which involves specialists from Russia, the US, Bahrein and Switzerland, is analysing the recordings of the voice and flight recorders.