Executive summary
At 1610 hours on Sunday 21 December 1997 a BAe 146 aircraft overtook a Fairchild Metro aircraft flying on the same track and at the same flight level, in controlled airspace. Both were on scheduled passenger flights. The estimated passing distance was 100 to 500 metres horizontally, and 20 to 150 feet vertically. Both aircraft were complying with their air traffic control clearances, and were under radar control. Neither of two radar controllers, in Auckland and Christchurch, had perceived the conflict between the aircraft.
Safety issues identified are:
• the desirability and difficulty of crews maintaining situational awareness of other traffic,
• controllers' use of basic flight progress strip and radar information,
• the implementation of short term conflict alert for air traffic control radar, and
• the adoption of traffic collision avoidance system equipment for aircraft.
Safety recommendations were made to the Director of Civil Aviation and to the Chief Executive of the Airways Corporation of New Zealand.
Related Recommendations
Expedite the process of making rules for the carriage and use of TCAS by appropriate aircraft.
Review their controller training and checking standards to ensure that adequate emphasis continues to be given to the use of basic flight progress strip information.