Fighter comes dangerously close to civilian aircraft

A Czech air force fighter reportedly dangerously approached a Slovak transport plane on Wednesday, the commercial channel Prima Television said.
The event took place over Mlada Vozice in the Tabor district, south Bohemia, and according to Ivan Hebert from the Air Traffic Control department, the mistake was most probably made by the military fighter.

According to the air force, no one was endangered. The incident is being investigated by the air force inspection department.

Hubert said that the distance between the two planes was reduced and the mistake was not on the part of the civilian aircraft. Fortunately, air traffic control officers noticed the danger in time.

Prima said that the pilot of a MiG-21 fighter passed the transport plane at a distance of less than 500 metres.

According to the international aviation regulations, the minimal distance between two planes should be 1,220 metres.

About 200 passengers were on board a Slovak charter company Boeing 737, which was heading for Bratislava via the Czech Republic and was flying at the altitude of about 9,000 metres.

The fighter took off for a trial flight in Ceske Budejovice, south Bohemia, Prima said.

Military representatives say, however, that the military aircraft pilot endangered no one.

"The safety of the flight was not endangered in any way," Czech air force spokeswoman Sabina Introvicova told Prima.

The incident is being investigated by the air force inspection, which will check voice records of air traffic controllers and records of radar controls along the route of both planes.

The results of the inspection are to be known within one month, Prima said.

Fonte: ÈTK (Czech Happenings) - 05/08/2004