On Guard
1st Jun 2010, 22:32
This was kept quiet
Fiji aviation authorities have launched an urgent investigation into why an Air New Zealand Boeing 767 nearly collided with a V Australia jet near Nadi, the Fiji Times reports.
It says the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAFI) has confirmed Australian authorities want to know why the two passenger planes with 600 people on board were on a collision course about 100 nautical miles out of Nadi.
The May 7 incident happened around 4pm.
Air New Zealand officials were not available in Auckland for comment on the report, but the Fiji times quoted the airline's Lara Harrison saying the company had received enquiries on the near-miss.
"A Virgin Australia flight passed approximately 10 nautical miles behind an Air New Zealand service operating to Fiji on Friday, 7 May. Both aircraft were in contact with each other," she said.
V Australia is the trading name of Virgin Blue International Airlines.
Amanda Bolger of V Australia said both aircraft were in Nadi air traffic-controlled airspace and were aware each of other. She said neither airline was at fault and the "aircraft altered course to maintain separation".
The Fiji Times says they had information that the Air New Zealand plane had passed the Los Angeles-bound V Australia's nose by two nautical miles with a vertical clearance of 800 feet.
The Air New Zealand plane was flying into Nadi from Auckland.
CAAFI chief executive officer Netava Waqa said in his "position as a regulator", he could not provide details of the incident.
"I am not in a position to comment on the specifics but I want to emphasise that we take these reports very seriously. We are working with our Australian counterparts as they too want to know what we are doing about it," Mr Waqa told the Fiji Times.
"We have completed the first part and the second part has started where we look at the root causes. We will do all we can to prevent this from happening again."
Reports state the Traffic Collision Avoidance System for both planes had gone off to warn the pilots that traffic was approaching at the level they had both been cleared to fly.
Industry experts said with the speed of the aircraft at the time, the action taken by the pilots meant they saved the plane in "seconds".
Fiji aviation authorities have launched an urgent investigation into why an Air New Zealand Boeing 767 nearly collided with a V Australia jet near Nadi, the Fiji Times reports.
It says the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAFI) has confirmed Australian authorities want to know why the two passenger planes with 600 people on board were on a collision course about 100 nautical miles out of Nadi.
The May 7 incident happened around 4pm.
Air New Zealand officials were not available in Auckland for comment on the report, but the Fiji times quoted the airline's Lara Harrison saying the company had received enquiries on the near-miss.
"A Virgin Australia flight passed approximately 10 nautical miles behind an Air New Zealand service operating to Fiji on Friday, 7 May. Both aircraft were in contact with each other," she said.
V Australia is the trading name of Virgin Blue International Airlines.
Amanda Bolger of V Australia said both aircraft were in Nadi air traffic-controlled airspace and were aware each of other. She said neither airline was at fault and the "aircraft altered course to maintain separation".
The Fiji Times says they had information that the Air New Zealand plane had passed the Los Angeles-bound V Australia's nose by two nautical miles with a vertical clearance of 800 feet.
The Air New Zealand plane was flying into Nadi from Auckland.
CAAFI chief executive officer Netava Waqa said in his "position as a regulator", he could not provide details of the incident.
"I am not in a position to comment on the specifics but I want to emphasise that we take these reports very seriously. We are working with our Australian counterparts as they too want to know what we are doing about it," Mr Waqa told the Fiji Times.
"We have completed the first part and the second part has started where we look at the root causes. We will do all we can to prevent this from happening again."
Reports state the Traffic Collision Avoidance System for both planes had gone off to warn the pilots that traffic was approaching at the level they had both been cleared to fly.
Industry experts said with the speed of the aircraft at the time, the action taken by the pilots meant they saved the plane in "seconds".