Air Traffic Controller Suspended Over Near Mid-Air Collision In Bengaluru
NDTV
At the closest point of conflict, the vertical and lateral separation between both aircraft was 100 feet.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday suspended the Air Traffic Control officer's license for a period of three months, who was involved in 'a breach of separation' at Bengaluru airport.
Two IndiGo flights miraculously avoided a collision after being cleared to take off simultaneously in the same direction on January 7, 2022, after which the DGCA had ordered an inquiry into the incident.
A senior DGCA official informed that the two IndiGo flights 6E 455 (Bengaluru to Kolkata) and 6E 246 (Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar) took off simultaneously from north and south Runway and were involved in a breach of separation at Bengaluru airport.
"South tower controller gave departure to 6E 455 in coordination with Approach Radar controller and at the same time, North tower controller gave departure to 6E 246 without prior coordination with south tower controller and Approach Radar controller. As both aircraft after departure were on converging heading i.e. moving towards each other," read the statement released by DGCA.
