Near miss for GoAir, SpiceJet flights in separate incidents in Goa

Two airprox incidents, where aircrafts were too close to one other while flying, have happened in Goa in last three weeks. The airprox incidents involved aircrafts belonging to GoAir and SpiceJet, according to the government.

The  airprox or aircraft proximity refers to a situation where in the opinion of a pilot or Air Traffic Services personnel, the distance between the planes as well as their relative positions and speed have been such that the safety of the aircraft involved may have been compromised.

The first incident happened on October 22 when a GoAir "wet-leased aircraft did not follow the instructions issued by the Goa ATC (Air Traffic Controller) for the approach", Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said on Thursday.

In the second incident, that took place on November 10, the similarity in the call signs of the two flights led to the confusion between the crew and the ATC, he added.

"Two airprox incidents have occured at Goa between aircraft belonging to GoAir and SpiceJet," Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Following the incidents, an audit of wet lease operation by GoAir has been ordered by aviation regulator DGCA.

"GoAir has been directed not to operate wet lease aircraft to defence air field till all the foreign crew has been briefed about the operating procedures," Sinha said  In wet lease arrangement, the lessor provides the aircraft, crew and maintenance, among others.

The incident on October 22 involved a GoAir flight from Mumbai to Goa and SpiceJet flight from Goa to Shamshabad (Hyderabad). The latest one on November 10 was between GoAir's Mumbai-Goa flight and SpiceJet's Delhi-Goa flight.