Air Europa charter triggered major alert during Dublin summit
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Air Europa charter triggered major alert during Dublin summit
From the Beeb's website
Spanish jet triggered major alert
A Spanish airline has confirmed that one of its passenger planes caused an major alert, leading to the launch of military aircraft, on 1 May.
Jets from several European countries were scrambled to intercept the Air Europa airliner after its crew failed to respond to air-traffic controllers.
The aircraft, with 186 people on board, was flying from Norway to Mallorca.
It was the same day that the leaders from 28 countries were in Dublin to mark the European Union expansion.
An Air Europa official confirmed reports in the Spanish El Pais newspaper that two military jets each from Germany, the Netherlands and France intercepted and flew alongside the plane during different stages of its flight.
There were concerns that the plane might have been hijacked in an attempt to crash it over Brussels or Paris on a hugely symbolic day for the continent.
Inquiries
Calls from Danish, German and Dutch traffic controllers remained unanswered for about 15 minutes until two French jets managed to contact the pilots.
The BBC's Oana Lungescu said Dutch prosecutors, who have opened an inquiry, are looking into possible serious violations of aviation legislation and international air traffic regulations.
She said an Air Europa spokeswoman had confirmed that the airline had also opened its own inquiry.
The spokeswoman said the flight was completed according to the schedule and the pilots were constantly listening to the required radio frequency, but had heard no specific request addressed to them.
Jean-Jacques Sauvage, a senior official with Eurocontrol - the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation - told the BBC this was unusual.
"The only thing I can say is that I'm very astonished," he said. "Normally this kind of message is very clear, there is a message which is international, which is the same message that is delivered to all pilots."
But the Air Europa spokeswoman said told the BBC that such an incident was not a rare occurrence.
In the first 10 days of May, she said, 20 similar alerts were registered with Eurocontrol.
Eurocontrol told the BBC it could not comment further before finding out more details of what had happened.
Spanish jet triggered major alert
A Spanish airline has confirmed that one of its passenger planes caused an major alert, leading to the launch of military aircraft, on 1 May.
Jets from several European countries were scrambled to intercept the Air Europa airliner after its crew failed to respond to air-traffic controllers.
The aircraft, with 186 people on board, was flying from Norway to Mallorca.
It was the same day that the leaders from 28 countries were in Dublin to mark the European Union expansion.
An Air Europa official confirmed reports in the Spanish El Pais newspaper that two military jets each from Germany, the Netherlands and France intercepted and flew alongside the plane during different stages of its flight.
There were concerns that the plane might have been hijacked in an attempt to crash it over Brussels or Paris on a hugely symbolic day for the continent.
Inquiries
Calls from Danish, German and Dutch traffic controllers remained unanswered for about 15 minutes until two French jets managed to contact the pilots.
The BBC's Oana Lungescu said Dutch prosecutors, who have opened an inquiry, are looking into possible serious violations of aviation legislation and international air traffic regulations.
She said an Air Europa spokeswoman had confirmed that the airline had also opened its own inquiry.
The spokeswoman said the flight was completed according to the schedule and the pilots were constantly listening to the required radio frequency, but had heard no specific request addressed to them.
Jean-Jacques Sauvage, a senior official with Eurocontrol - the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation - told the BBC this was unusual.
"The only thing I can say is that I'm very astonished," he said. "Normally this kind of message is very clear, there is a message which is international, which is the same message that is delivered to all pilots."
But the Air Europa spokeswoman said told the BBC that such an incident was not a rare occurrence.
In the first 10 days of May, she said, 20 similar alerts were registered with Eurocontrol.
Eurocontrol told the BBC it could not comment further before finding out more details of what had happened.
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Not as uncommon as some people think.
Prolonged Loss of Comms happens daily many times throughout Europe. Sometimes caused by sleeping radios, sometimes by finger trouble, and sometimes by unexplained causes. Whilst there is no set standard for what is Prolonged, if you haven't replied after 3 or 4 attempts to call you on the frequency and you are in an area where contact is reasonably guaranteed, then other things will start to swing in to action. That is the world in which we live.
Gives the Air Defenders work now that the Red Bear has gone I suppose.
Prolonged Loss of Comms happens daily many times throughout Europe. Sometimes caused by sleeping radios, sometimes by finger trouble, and sometimes by unexplained causes. Whilst there is no set standard for what is Prolonged, if you haven't replied after 3 or 4 attempts to call you on the frequency and you are in an area where contact is reasonably guaranteed, then other things will start to swing in to action. That is the world in which we live.
Gives the Air Defenders work now that the Red Bear has gone I suppose.
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If We call an aircraft twice and receive no reply we are supposed to inform our military colleagues!But if this was applied strictly we would never be off the phone.
But in this case the pilot was called several times and was not in radio contact for at least 20 mins.He even had 2 fighters flying next to him for awhile before he realised what was happening and re-established radio contact!
How anyone can fly through some of the busiest airspace in Europe in the middle of the day and not think that it is strange that no-one has spoken to him for 10 mins is beyond me.
But in this case the pilot was called several times and was not in radio contact for at least 20 mins.He even had 2 fighters flying next to him for awhile before he realised what was happening and re-established radio contact!
How anyone can fly through some of the busiest airspace in Europe in the middle of the day and not think that it is strange that no-one has spoken to him for 10 mins is beyond me.
Try flying across said "busiest airspace in Europe" past 2300 millerman. It gets very quiet up there and 10 minutes without any radio call at all, let alone to you is a regular occurance.
Easy to judge the pilots based on a BBC news report but this happens a lot in Europe at the moment and for Eurocontrol to say it doesnt says it all really.
Easy to judge the pilots based on a BBC news report but this happens a lot in Europe at the moment and for Eurocontrol to say it doesnt says it all really.
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If We call an aircraft twice and receive no reply we are supposed to inform our military colleagues!
You can see how easy it would be to suddenly find yourself in formation flying. Thankfully most ATCO's will persist a little more than twice and most pilot's will get that 'funny feeling' before we end up on the news.
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Faire d'income my point exactly!
We do use our discretion (alot) but this pilot flew through 3 countries and missed numerous calls on our frequencies and on guard during the middle of the day (not after 2300 when it does get quiet -thank goodness) I don't think you can easily explain that one away with bad timing!
We do use our discretion (alot) but this pilot flew through 3 countries and missed numerous calls on our frequencies and on guard during the middle of the day (not after 2300 when it does get quiet -thank goodness) I don't think you can easily explain that one away with bad timing!
winks - until Maria came in asking if anyone wanted coffee and 
look at the nice fighters 
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Hmm so sleepy crew, faulty radio or too busy eating the crappy sandwiches that I had the displeasure of when I flew with them?(Yes I really was that hunrgy
)
Silly Kestrel was about to ask why on earth a flight going from Norway to Palma was near Dublin until he read all the thread.
So the reason this one made the press in style is because of the summit in Dublin on the same day?
)Silly Kestrel was about to ask why on earth a flight going from Norway to Palma was near Dublin until he read all the thread.
So the reason this one made the press in style is because of the summit in Dublin on the same day?
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Problem is, we monitor 121.5 but it's full of practice pan's from UK a/c.
Can we not have another freq for this or stop practice pans??
You end up turning the vol down on VHF 2 or even off.
Weekends are a nightmare!
Even half way over the bay of biscay you hear them.
Can we not have another freq for this or stop practice pans??
You end up turning the vol down on VHF 2 or even off.
Weekends are a nightmare!
Even half way over the bay of biscay you hear them.
Easyprison is right. However, I think that 121.5 should remain the primary emergency frequency and another be found for training/practice purposes. Sometimes we have in the past managed to raise "silent" traffic with the assistance of a company aircraft raising them on their company frequency.
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misuse of 121.500
Problem is, we monitor 121.5 but it's full of practice pan's from UK a/c.
And the result is twofold: you probably turn the volume down, or if you don't: you'll miss ATC because of the distraction.
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How anyone can fly through some of the busiest airspace in Europe in the middle of the day and not think that it is strange that no-one has spoken to him for 10 mins is beyond me.
Can you tell me what 2300 hours has got to do with the above quote?
Do you have a problem with telling the time?
NN
