Lookleft:
I'm not suggesting that there isn't a problem with the ATC system and it is not a serious incident, my objection is to the sensationalist reporting that Mr Sandilands engaged in. He was suggesting that there was basically this unguided missile hurtling around the skies and it was a matter of luck that it didn't hit anything. And Brian if you want to follow me around Prune and make snide remarks about my views well and good but you only make yourself look like the idiot.
Actually, by definition, if the aircraft wasn't being controlled by a controller, it WAS a matter of luck that it didn't hit something or at least trigger a TCAS RA.
What I think you really mean is that you think there was a very low probability of such events occurring - that is wrong too.
You need to understand that navigation systems today are extremely accurate and pilots are trained to fly precise courses. What that means is that if Two aircraft are tracking to the same set of waypoints in opposite directions, or one is overtaking another, and happen to reach the same altitude, they WILL collide, as happened in Brazil.
....Which is why I always offset my track from waypoints aka "wandering all over the sky"
