Dehavillanddriver
24th Dec 2003, 08:02
FLASH!
report filed by our aviation reporter Tele Nolies
Australia
The hopes and dreams of countless millions of children were dashed today after a mid air disaster over Australia today.
Santa, enroute to the North Pole on a positioning flight, collided with a Cessna 4 engined twin turbojet propellor aeroplane.
The Cessna, which was reportedly being flown by an unnamed millionaire philanthropist and biscuit manufacturer, was operating in what air traffic controllers called Espace, and did not have a flight plan filed with the tower, witnesses at the airport said that the cessna was operating VFR (visiting friends and relatives).
Air Traffic Controllers union representative Led Tang said that the cessna and the passenger jet were both in class E airspace, which under the new airspace rules was recently declared as "safe" by the minister of transport. Mr Tang said that the air traffic controllers tried deperately to contact the cessna, but were unable to raise him on any appropriate frequency
The collision occured at 10 am Melbourne time, and witnesses reported seeing thousands of presents falling to the ground - "it was just like christmas" said one eyewitness.
A spokesperson for the Minister responsible said that as no air traffic standard is required between VFR and IFR aeroplanes in E airspace, the collision was the fault of Santa for not looking where he was going - "the fatman should have been seeing and avoiding" said the minister.
A spokesman for the NASIG said "BAH HUMBUG"
report filed by our aviation reporter Tele Nolies
Australia
The hopes and dreams of countless millions of children were dashed today after a mid air disaster over Australia today.
Santa, enroute to the North Pole on a positioning flight, collided with a Cessna 4 engined twin turbojet propellor aeroplane.
The Cessna, which was reportedly being flown by an unnamed millionaire philanthropist and biscuit manufacturer, was operating in what air traffic controllers called Espace, and did not have a flight plan filed with the tower, witnesses at the airport said that the cessna was operating VFR (visiting friends and relatives).
Air Traffic Controllers union representative Led Tang said that the cessna and the passenger jet were both in class E airspace, which under the new airspace rules was recently declared as "safe" by the minister of transport. Mr Tang said that the air traffic controllers tried deperately to contact the cessna, but were unable to raise him on any appropriate frequency
The collision occured at 10 am Melbourne time, and witnesses reported seeing thousands of presents falling to the ground - "it was just like christmas" said one eyewitness.
A spokesperson for the Minister responsible said that as no air traffic standard is required between VFR and IFR aeroplanes in E airspace, the collision was the fault of Santa for not looking where he was going - "the fatman should have been seeing and avoiding" said the minister.
A spokesman for the NASIG said "BAH HUMBUG"