Singapore jets intercept intruder plane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Bangkok / San Francisco
Age: 58
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Singapore jets intercept intruder plane
Thought this was sort of funny.
Pilot was on a flight plan, probably lost his radio, two jets scambled to intercept and force a landing... jeez. Landed at 9 am and was released at 7 pm!!!
The only thing that impressed me was that they were able to do the intercept on their lousy 5 sq. inches of airspace!
--
TWO Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) jets were scrambled yesterday morning to intercept a private civilian plane which had intruded into Singapore's airspace.
[Watch Channel i news clip here]
The two A-4 Super Skyhawks were sent up at about 9am yesterday after air-traffic controllers failed to contact the pilot of the civilian plane.
The RSAF jets then escorted the plane to land at Seletar Air Base.
The civilian pilot, Portuguese national Antonio Faria e Mello, had filed a flight plan from Colombo, in Sri Lanka, to Singapore, but an electrical failure in his 33-year-old Beechcraft Bonanza F33 A aircraft made it impossible for him to contact air-traffic control.
Mr Faria e Mello was questioned by police and released at about 7pm.
According to his website, Mr Faria e Mello is on his second round-the-world solo flight.
The wheelchair-bound man was once a pilot with the Portuguese Air Force, and had previously navigated the globe in 1995.
He had reached Colombo on Sunday, and was planning to go to Bali after a stopover in Singapore.
An eyewitness, despatcher Wong Kum Seng, 51, said he saw the jets scrambling to intercept the aircraft from his flat at Teck Whye Lane.
Mr Wong, who was leaving for work at the time, was startled by the loud sounds of jets flying overheard.
'They were not flying in formation, and I was surprised.
'Then I saw a light aircraft, and I wondered what was going on because it's unusual to see other planes near military jets.
'The next thing I knew, the RSAF jets had intercepted the aircraft and were circling it.
'The jets then flew on either side of the plane and guided it out of my sight.'
Pilot was on a flight plan, probably lost his radio, two jets scambled to intercept and force a landing... jeez. Landed at 9 am and was released at 7 pm!!!
The only thing that impressed me was that they were able to do the intercept on their lousy 5 sq. inches of airspace!
--
TWO Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) jets were scrambled yesterday morning to intercept a private civilian plane which had intruded into Singapore's airspace.
[Watch Channel i news clip here]
The two A-4 Super Skyhawks were sent up at about 9am yesterday after air-traffic controllers failed to contact the pilot of the civilian plane.
The RSAF jets then escorted the plane to land at Seletar Air Base.
The civilian pilot, Portuguese national Antonio Faria e Mello, had filed a flight plan from Colombo, in Sri Lanka, to Singapore, but an electrical failure in his 33-year-old Beechcraft Bonanza F33 A aircraft made it impossible for him to contact air-traffic control.
Mr Faria e Mello was questioned by police and released at about 7pm.
According to his website, Mr Faria e Mello is on his second round-the-world solo flight.
The wheelchair-bound man was once a pilot with the Portuguese Air Force, and had previously navigated the globe in 1995.
He had reached Colombo on Sunday, and was planning to go to Bali after a stopover in Singapore.
An eyewitness, despatcher Wong Kum Seng, 51, said he saw the jets scrambling to intercept the aircraft from his flat at Teck Whye Lane.
Mr Wong, who was leaving for work at the time, was startled by the loud sounds of jets flying overheard.
'They were not flying in formation, and I was surprised.
'Then I saw a light aircraft, and I wondered what was going on because it's unusual to see other planes near military jets.
'The next thing I knew, the RSAF jets had intercepted the aircraft and were circling it.
'The jets then flew on either side of the plane and guided it out of my sight.'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Bali H'ai
Posts: 427
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So how come Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur ATC did not advise SIN? He would have been in their airspace for 5 or 6 hours.
On a Great Circle route block time would be about 10 hours, if he routed via Andaman and Nicobar Island, and then down Sumatra, a tad longer.
Have to admit he's got balls.
Sultan Ismail
On a Great Circle route block time would be about 10 hours, if he routed via Andaman and Nicobar Island, and then down Sumatra, a tad longer.
Have to admit he's got balls.
Sultan Ismail
