Major tragedy averted; 3 controllers suspended after Air India, Nepal Airlines flights almost collide
A major tragedy was averted on Friday when an Air India and a Nepal Airlines plane came dangerously close to colliding in mid-air, but warning systems alerted the pilots, averting the disaster, authorities said on Sunday.
According to CAAN spokesperson Jagannath Niroula, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has suspended three employees from the air traffic controller department for "carelessness."
On Friday morning, a Nepal Airlines Airbus A-320 flight arriving in Kathmandu from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and an Air India flight arriving in Kathmandu from New Delhi nearly collided.
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According to Niroula, the Air India plane was descending from 19,000 feet, while the Nepal Airlines plane was flying at 15,000 feet.
The Nepal Airlines plane descended to 7,000 feet after the radar showed that the two planes were close, according to the spokesperson.
The Civil Aviation Authority has appointed a three-member investigation committee to look into the situation.
The three officers in command of the control room at the time of the event have been suspended by the CAAN.
There was no immediate comment from Air India.
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- PTC NEWS
