An easyJet pilot is being lauded for their swift response that prevented a near-collision between an Airbus A320 and another plane due to an air traffic control error. The incident occurred on New Year’s Eve last year and has since been classified as a “serious encounter” by a French investigative body.
The situation arose when an air traffic controller allegedly “forgot” about a Robin DR400 aircraft, which was waiting to take off, before clearing the Airbus A320 for landing. The A320 was carrying 179 passengers and was en route from Gatwick Airport to Bordeaux-Merignac.
France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety investigated the incident and reported that on the day of the occurrence, the shift manager had reduced the number of controllers from six to three. This reduction in staffing coincided with increased air traffic, leading to a challenging situation for the controller.
The report stated, “FR traffic then became very dense. The controller… late authorised the A320 to land, forgetting the presence of the DR400 at the threshold.” It explained that the DR400 pilot, realizing the impending danger, promptly reported the situation to the controller, who immediately ordered the A320 to abort the approach.
Importantly, the easyJet flight crew was unaware of the presence of the other aircraft due to their primary focus on the runway during the final approach.
An easyJet spokesperson commented on the incident, stating, “We are aware of the report regarding the ATC error, which confirms that our pilots followed procedures at all times. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority, and we will always cooperate with safety investigations.”
The report further detailed that the easyJet crew executed a missed approach, with the lowest point of the trajectory occurring at a height of 103 feet and a distance of approximately 290 meters from the runway threshold. The A320 safely passed over the DR400 at a height of 178 feet and then continued on its standard trajectory.
Fortunately, a potential disaster was averted, and both aircraft landed and took off safely following the corrective actions taken. The pilot of the DR400 has also been commended for their quick thinking in helping prevent a catastrophic incident
