Jet Airways Near Miss

[BombayDuck]

Link (http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/sep/21jet.htm)

Jet Airways flight in near-collision with fighters

September 21, 2006 18:33 IST

A Jet Airways Boeing 737 with 89 passengers on Thursday had a miraculous escape after it was involved in a near-collision with a formation of Sukhoi-30 Air Force fighter jets over the airport in Rajkot.

The Boeing developed a technical problem after its pilot resorted to a sudden climb to avoid the fighter jets.

It was grounded after landing at the airport in Rajkot and all the passengers were safe.

The Su-30 jets were participating in the 'Gagan Shakti' air exercise over Rajkot when the incident occurred at about 8.30 am.

(more on the site)

[Aeronotix]

Cases of near air-misses seem to be increasing over the Indian skies with an alarming frequency. It seems a lot of expat pilots specially from the earstwhile eastern european block are difficult to comprehend by Indian ATC and vice-versa, due to their english accents being different. This leads to mis-communications between ATC & pilots. Airlines have subtely asked their Indian pilots onboard to handle the ATC function.

Now that the DGCA has allowed an all expat crew to operate it will compound this problem. An Indian operating pilot (not a supi) serves as a safety valve in such situations. Is it right to eliminate this valve???

Aeronotix.

[ATC Watcher]

Aeronotix, as a matter of information, are the Indian air force operating Su30 in metric or feet ? If the later is correct is the instrumentation modified ?

I do not imply that that was a factor in this case, just curious.

[B737NG]

If you fly thru the Indian skies then you hear now and then a nervous and overloaded voice who tries to sort out the traffic. As soon as some hectic kicks in the voice raises and gets hyper. I heared it several times at DEL and BOM. It is not the "Eastern accent" on his own. When I hear HKG or LHR they are bussy as well and they can sort it out in a calm manner and get the Ducks in a row. It is the circumstances the man and woman on the ground have to work and the way it is handeld. I am rather glad all involved did all to prevent the collission from happening and saved the day.

Fly safe and land happy

NG

[turbofan99]

As an expat in India I resent being singled out as the problem over Indian skies. Going into DEL or BOM is an ordeal almost every time. Why? Because of the incompetance of the controllers and the system. Why do the pilots always ask "what is the reason for the delays?" "Why are we #15 for the approach?" IT seems pretty obvious, the controllers are simply not able to handle the traffic. They make way too much work for themselves. Why are they vectoring the aircraft all over India? Depart DPN hdg 360 for 50 miles...then we get vectors west for 40 miles then south. GEEZZ...just put the aircraft in a hold. ALOT less workload for you!!
Maybe it's the low time pilots sitting in the right AND left seats? Their R/T proves that. Why is everyone reading back soo much information. Read back the important stuff of course, but why do you read back the wind to the tower on final(s). Did you get it or not?? Radio congestion is extreme, again cause of system capacity. THe controllers are sharing the frequency with other sectors.
In other parts of the world, the military pilots are low time when they get into a jet. I can just imagine how much time they get in India before they get into a SU30. How come no one can blame the SU30?
There are alot of deficiencies in the system in India, please do not be so quick to blame the expats.
As in any incident, it is always a chain of events. Lets focus on the big picture.
rant over....for now
TF

[NoRedPortLeft]

Just wondering.
Does anyone know how widely TCAS has been implemented in India?

[Aeronotix]

Turbofan99 you are not being singled out so dont wear a cap that does'nt fit or get into a persecution complex. I clearly said such pilots were one of the problems that add to this mess and incompetent ATC are also a very vital link in this chain. And looking at the bigger picture we need to urgently develop our aviation infrastructure on a war footing and be more proactive than reactive!

Aeronotix.

[Left Coaster]

I get it! Don't even try to get me started about the on air... ummm... "discussion" I ended up in with the final appch "controller" in BOM last week! The only thing I would say was STRESS? WHAT STRESS?!!! The coments from the guys behind us were to the point..."Well THAT was rude wasn't it?" And it happens too much in my opinion. :=