SO CLOSE TO DISASTER: A Qantas and a Virgin plane came within metres of a collision. Picture: AFP
TWO commercial passenger jets came within metres of colliding over Coolangatta last month, putting 300 lives at risk.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation into the incident on the morning of July 29.
The near-miss involved a Qantas Boeing 737-838 and a Virgin Australia 737-8FE.
Both jets were flying from Melbourne to Brisbane when they were ordered into a holding pattern about 91km from Brisbane Airport just before 8am.
As they circled above the Gold Coast, the Qantas crew noticed the Virgin Australia aircraft inside the 300m vertical separation zone and contacted air traffic control.
“Air traffic control immediately issued instructions to the other aircraft to restore the minimum separation distance,” said Qantas spokesman Thomas Woodward.
“The flight crew complied fully with all air traffic control directions and there was no safety risk at any point.”
He said the 150 passengers on board were not made aware of the incident and would not have been aware of what had occurred at the time.
Melissa Thomson, from Virgin Australia, said their aircraft followed air traffic control instructions throughout the flight.
“We are co-operating fully with the ATSB to determine the full circumstances surrounding this event,” Ms Thomson said.
An ATSB spokesman confirmed the “breach of separation standards” incident was under investigation.
“We understand the distance between the aircraft was less than required both vertically and laterally,” said the spokesman.
He said the ATSB would take about 12 months to complete the investigation and then it would be up to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to take any further action.
“We are a no-blame investigator,” he said.
Breaches of separation standards in Australian airspace are relatively rare, with the last serious incident occurring seven years ago.
On July 18, 2004, an incoming Qantas jet came close to colliding with a Jetstar plane that had just taken off from Hamilton Island.
Passengers on board the Jetstar flight described the incident as “frightening” after the plane banked sharply to avoid a crash.
Mr Woodward and Ms Thomson said no evasive action was required in the July 29 incident.
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