uk94
31st Jul 2002, 11:34
by Iain Maciver . . . . . filed July 31, 2002
AN inquiry is to be held by NATO into why an American warship on exercise off the north of Scotland tried to stop a civilian passenger plane landing earlier this month.
The pilot of a scheduled flight from Stornoway to Benbecula, with 13 people on board, reported that he was called on an emergency frequency by the unnamed warship and ordered to turn back as he approached the island airport.
Lord Robertson, the Secretary General of NATO and a former Scottish Labour MP, has confirmed to Alasdair Morrison, the Western Isles MSP, that "the details of the incident are under investigation".
After the call from the warship which warned that plane was entering a dangerous area and to turn back immediately, Linton Chilcott, pilot of the Inverness-based Highland Airways Jetstream 31 plane, diverted away from Benbecula in case they came under fire.
However, after a call to air traffic control to confirm there was no notified danger area, the pilot made a further attempt and he landed safely and with no further intervention from the ship.
The Royal Navy at the Faslane base where much of the NATO exercise was co-ordinated confirmed that it had no reason to believe the civilian plane had strayed into any restricted area.
"There were no such active areas on that day in that area," said a navy spokeswoman.
Alasdair Morrison, the islands' Labour MSP, had furiously hit out saying he expected the American forces to issue an explanation within 24 hours and also to give an assurance that interference with UK civilian flights will not happen again.
However, no apology or assurance was given and the Civil Aviation Authority has been conducting its own inquiry.
There were 11 passengers and two crew on board the Prestwick-built Jetstream when the warship made the apparently unauthorised warning call on July 11. The pilot decided not to tell those on board of the incident.
A week before, an American warship taking part in the same 10-nation Joint Maritime Course (JMC) exercise was suspected of firing a missile which landed a mile away from houses in Durness, Sutherland - eight miles from its intended target zone.
Highland Airways, the air traffic controller at Benbecula and the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre (ScATCC) in Prestwick, all filed complaints to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) about the incident.
At the time, Alasdair Morrison demanded a statement from the US Navy within 24 hours and is known to have been angry that he did not get it. Last night, he confirmed that he had written to the NATO Secretary General, who as George Robertson, was a Labour MP for Hamilton South and was also a former Secretary of State for Defence, and he now welcomed his decision to order an investigation.
Mr Robertson told him that he had already been in contact with the UK and US delegations at NATO Headquarters.
Last night Mr Morrison said: "I am very grateful to George Robertson for his prompt response to my request for an explanation of the incident. I sincerely hope that the relevant US authority responds in similar fashion and in details
"What happened to the Highland Airways crew and passengers was unacceptable and rightly requires a full explanation."
Basil O'Fee, the commercial director of Highland Airways, said: "We believe that it is most likely that the Commander of the US Navy ship mistook our aircraft for a Military or contracted civilian aircraft participating in the NATO exercise."
The airline boss added that they would like to see the procedures for identifying unknown aircraft to be improved so as not to risk alarming or diverting non-participating traffic.
"Such procedures could involve using only discrete exercise frequencies for identification purposes, or, if using the international distress frequencies, ensuring that non-participating aircraft are clearly aware that they need not comply with instructions given, but may continue on their route."]
Mr O'Fee said that such calls could use the phrase "exercise traffic only need comply" or words to that effect.
"If, on the other hand, the US Navy did actually intend to divert any civilian aircraft from its flightpath, this is very different, and potentially of greater concern.
"In our opinion, our Captain was right to assume that the latter may have been the case, and was correct in acting accordingly. We await the outcome of this investigation," he said.
ends
AN inquiry is to be held by NATO into why an American warship on exercise off the north of Scotland tried to stop a civilian passenger plane landing earlier this month.
The pilot of a scheduled flight from Stornoway to Benbecula, with 13 people on board, reported that he was called on an emergency frequency by the unnamed warship and ordered to turn back as he approached the island airport.
Lord Robertson, the Secretary General of NATO and a former Scottish Labour MP, has confirmed to Alasdair Morrison, the Western Isles MSP, that "the details of the incident are under investigation".
After the call from the warship which warned that plane was entering a dangerous area and to turn back immediately, Linton Chilcott, pilot of the Inverness-based Highland Airways Jetstream 31 plane, diverted away from Benbecula in case they came under fire.
However, after a call to air traffic control to confirm there was no notified danger area, the pilot made a further attempt and he landed safely and with no further intervention from the ship.
The Royal Navy at the Faslane base where much of the NATO exercise was co-ordinated confirmed that it had no reason to believe the civilian plane had strayed into any restricted area.
"There were no such active areas on that day in that area," said a navy spokeswoman.
Alasdair Morrison, the islands' Labour MSP, had furiously hit out saying he expected the American forces to issue an explanation within 24 hours and also to give an assurance that interference with UK civilian flights will not happen again.
However, no apology or assurance was given and the Civil Aviation Authority has been conducting its own inquiry.
There were 11 passengers and two crew on board the Prestwick-built Jetstream when the warship made the apparently unauthorised warning call on July 11. The pilot decided not to tell those on board of the incident.
A week before, an American warship taking part in the same 10-nation Joint Maritime Course (JMC) exercise was suspected of firing a missile which landed a mile away from houses in Durness, Sutherland - eight miles from its intended target zone.
Highland Airways, the air traffic controller at Benbecula and the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre (ScATCC) in Prestwick, all filed complaints to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) about the incident.
At the time, Alasdair Morrison demanded a statement from the US Navy within 24 hours and is known to have been angry that he did not get it. Last night, he confirmed that he had written to the NATO Secretary General, who as George Robertson, was a Labour MP for Hamilton South and was also a former Secretary of State for Defence, and he now welcomed his decision to order an investigation.
Mr Robertson told him that he had already been in contact with the UK and US delegations at NATO Headquarters.
Last night Mr Morrison said: "I am very grateful to George Robertson for his prompt response to my request for an explanation of the incident. I sincerely hope that the relevant US authority responds in similar fashion and in details
"What happened to the Highland Airways crew and passengers was unacceptable and rightly requires a full explanation."
Basil O'Fee, the commercial director of Highland Airways, said: "We believe that it is most likely that the Commander of the US Navy ship mistook our aircraft for a Military or contracted civilian aircraft participating in the NATO exercise."
The airline boss added that they would like to see the procedures for identifying unknown aircraft to be improved so as not to risk alarming or diverting non-participating traffic.
"Such procedures could involve using only discrete exercise frequencies for identification purposes, or, if using the international distress frequencies, ensuring that non-participating aircraft are clearly aware that they need not comply with instructions given, but may continue on their route."]
Mr O'Fee said that such calls could use the phrase "exercise traffic only need comply" or words to that effect.
"If, on the other hand, the US Navy did actually intend to divert any civilian aircraft from its flightpath, this is very different, and potentially of greater concern.
"In our opinion, our Captain was right to assume that the latter may have been the case, and was correct in acting accordingly. We await the outcome of this investigation," he said.
ends