Air safety chiefs investigate 'near-miss' over Glasgow

Posted 16/08/2011

Air safety chiefs are investigating the possible near collision of a passenger jet and a glider over Glasgow Airport.

No further details of the incident have been released, but the Civil Aviation Authority has taken urgent steps to make the airspace over Glasgow more secure.

It announced today that it will reclassify the Glasgow Control Area from Class E to Class D from September 16 as an interim safety measure.

The CAA said the fast track process to reclassify a control area was reserved specifically for use 'where a clear and present threat to public safety is identified'.

All airspace in the UK is given a classification level to determine what type of aircraft is allowed to use it, what equipment it needs on board and what level of licence and training the pilot requires.
The lowest classification can be used by any aircraft, including glider, but the highest is reserved for commercial aircraft.

A CAA spokesman said: "Although the incident was not classified as of being a risk to either aircraft, we have decided to raise the airspace level in that area to help prevent any future incident.

"It means aircraft have to have slightly more equipment and air traffic control oversight is increased."

The incident, which happened on July 23, is described as "an airprox", which is defined by the CAA as "a situation in which, in the opinion of a pilot or controller, the distance between aircraft, as well as their relative positions and speed, have been such that the safety of the aircraft was, or may have been, compromised".

It is being investigated by the UK Airprox Board.


By Linsey McNeill
 

Originally published 16 Aug 2011 at: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/398/f/5923/s/1763a188/l/0L0Stravelmole0N0Cstories0C11489520Bphp0Dmpnlog0F1/story01.htm