Planes miraculously avoid mid-air collision at Karachi airport

KARACHI: Two planes at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi miraculously evaded mid-air collision owing to alleged negligence of air traffic controllers, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources, the two planes simultaneously attempted to land at the runways of the Karachi airport from opposite directions, raising alarm bells for a mid-air collision. “However, the pilots of the planes acted wisely and avoided the imminent collision,” they said.

The Civil Aviation Authority has taken notice of the incident and launched a probe into the incident. “We have initiated the probe and action will be taken against whoever is found guilty,” the CAA spokesman said.

It is pertinent to mention here that there is a system on all planes, called Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which automatically guides the plane through communication with the TCAS of other aircrafts present nearby.

On July 26, two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) planes flying on the same route and altitude averted a mid-air collision over Iranian airspace.

According to details, two PIA planes flying on the same route and altitude – near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) border – came dangerously close to each other due to alleged negligence of the Iranian air traffic control (ATC).

A PIA Boeing 777 was en route from Islamabad to Dubai while the other plane was Airbus A320 from Doha to Peshawar.  The ATC reportedly cleared the altitude for two airliners to fly at the same time.

However, when the two planes came closer, one was directed to dive while the other was asked to go higher in altitude as per standard practice followed in such situations.