On Wednesday, August 23, air traffic controllers at the Delhi airport accidentally set two Vistara flights on a collision course. However, an alert woman pilot avoided the tragedy at the last minute. The incident occurred when one flight landed and the other was preparing to take off. Both flights had a total of around 300 passengers on board, including the crew members.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that an alert pilot in the aircraft crossing the runway flagged the issue immediately. Identified as Captain Sonu Gill of the Ahmedabad-Delhi flight, the pilot saved hundreds of lives. As per reports, the two planes were less than 2 KMs apart when the ATC received a warning about the situation. Had the flight that was taking off not stopped at the right time, there would have been a major accident at the busiest airport in the country.
The air traffic controller has been de-rostered by DGCA, and an investigation has been initiated into the matter.
What happened at the Delhi Airport
On the day of the incident, Ahmedabad to Delhi flight VT1926 was instructed to cross runway 29R after landing on runway 29L. At the same time, the controller permitted another plane, Vistara VT1725, from runway 29R. Speaking to PTI, DGCA officials said, “Momentarily, the tower controller forgot this crossing and issued take-off clearance to another Vistara flight VTI725 (Delhi–Bagdogra) from runway 29R. On realisation of the error based on input from VTI926, the tower controller instructed VTI725 to cancel take off.”
An unnamed Delhi Airport official told Hindustan Times, “The Ahmedabad- Delhi flight landed at the left runway, and the other flight was to take off from the right when the pilot of the [first] flight, during the crossing, noticed that the departure flight was about to take off. She informed the ATC, after which the officer immediately ordered the departing cockpit crew to abort take off.”
