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CAA blames July 15 incident on inexperienced controller
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2010-08-20 10:29 AM
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Ukrainian cargo plane nearly collided with a Singapore Airlines passenger flight at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on July 15 because of a mistake by a trainee air controller, reports said Thursday. The latest incident comes amid a wave of complaints and reports of problems at Taiwan’s main airport ranging from leaking restrooms to staff quarrels and misbehavior.
The Ukrainian Antonov AN-24 freight plane was moving forward as it received an order to wait until the Singapore Airlines flight carrying more than 200 people had taken off. However, the Ukrainian pilot reportedly misunderstood the order “hold short of runway 05” as “cross runway 05,” or exactly the opposite.
As the cargo plane moved forward, another air traffic controller saw the danger and ordered it to speed up so it could be out of the way when the Singapore plane started taking off.
The planes came to within 1,100 meters of each other, re! ports said, or 11 seconds away from a collision.
The investigation into the incident showed that the first air traffic controller should have made certain that the Ukrainian pilot had understood his order and also used visual contact or radar to confirm the plane’s position.
The controller, who had been working at the control tower for only one year, was moved to another department after receiving psychological counseling, reports said.
The presence of two planes on the same landing strip violated the most basic rules, said airport official Chien Yuan-lin.
The reports of a near miss follow a host of other problems afflicting the airport. On Wednesday, the government announced that the two deputy director-generals of the Civil Aeronautics Administration had been removed. When one of them found out he would work at the Central Weather Bureau, he applied for retirement, which was approved, reports said.
Transportation Minister Mao Chi-kuo, who presented a report about flight connections in Northeast Asia to the regular weekly Cabinet meeting Thursday, said there were structural problems at the CAA which needed to be addressed by a reorganization. The government is planning to turn the Taoyuan airport into a corporation.
Also on Thursday, ruling Kuomintang lawmaker Lo Shu-lei showed pictures to the media of boxes supposed to contain cables for the airplanes’ power supplies filled with garbage. She also complained that the vegetation around the landing strip had become too high and endangered safety.
Airport officials said no garbage had been found during the most recent check, but they would make sure the problem did not occur again.
Previous problems at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport included ground control officials partying at work, which was also revealed by Lo, the collapse of a passenger bridge, leaks in the new Terminal 2 restrooms and low-quality luggage carts.
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2010-08-20 10:29 AM
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Ukrainian cargo plane nearly collided with a Singapore Airlines passenger flight at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on July 15 because of a mistake by a trainee air controller, reports said Thursday. The latest incident comes amid a wave of complaints and reports of problems at Taiwan’s main airport ranging from leaking restrooms to staff quarrels and misbehavior.
The Ukrainian Antonov AN-24 freight plane was moving forward as it received an order to wait until the Singapore Airlines flight carrying more than 200 people had taken off. However, the Ukrainian pilot reportedly misunderstood the order “hold short of runway 05” as “cross runway 05,” or exactly the opposite.
As the cargo plane moved forward, another air traffic controller saw the danger and ordered it to speed up so it could be out of the way when the Singapore plane started taking off.
The planes came to within 1,100 meters of each other, re! ports said, or 11 seconds away from a collision.
The investigation into the incident showed that the first air traffic controller should have made certain that the Ukrainian pilot had understood his order and also used visual contact or radar to confirm the plane’s position.
The controller, who had been working at the control tower for only one year, was moved to another department after receiving psychological counseling, reports said.
The presence of two planes on the same landing strip violated the most basic rules, said airport official Chien Yuan-lin.
The reports of a near miss follow a host of other problems afflicting the airport. On Wednesday, the government announced that the two deputy director-generals of the Civil Aeronautics Administration had been removed. When one of them found out he would work at the Central Weather Bureau, he applied for retirement, which was approved, reports said.
Transportation Minister Mao Chi-kuo, who presented a report about flight connections in Northeast Asia to the regular weekly Cabinet meeting Thursday, said there were structural problems at the CAA which needed to be addressed by a reorganization. The government is planning to turn the Taoyuan airport into a corporation.
Also on Thursday, ruling Kuomintang lawmaker Lo Shu-lei showed pictures to the media of boxes supposed to contain cables for the airplanes’ power supplies filled with garbage. She also complained that the vegetation around the landing strip had become too high and endangered safety.
Airport officials said no garbage had been found during the most recent check, but they would make sure the problem did not occur again.
Previous problems at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport included ground control officials partying at work, which was also revealed by Lo, the collapse of a passenger bridge, leaks in the new Terminal 2 restrooms and low-quality luggage carts.
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