Sydney, Australia: A Jetstar Airbus A320 and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 came dangerously close to a collision while moving on the ground at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning, August 9, after the Jetstar crew was forced to brake abruptly to avoid the Qatar aircraft.
The incident occurred at about 7:00am local time at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. The Jetstar A320, operating flight JQ402 from Sydney to Gold Coast Airport, was taxiing for departure when its crew observed the Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed by an aircraft tug on a crossing taxiway. The ATSB said both aircraft were brought to an abrupt stop, preventing a collision.
According to Australian media reports, the Jetstar aircraft stopped about 50 metres from the Qatar 777. The sudden braking caused a rear cabin crew member aboard the Jetstar aircraft to fall and suffer a broken wrist. No Jetstar passengers were injured.
JQ402 was carrying 151 passengers and six crew members, according to Australian media reports. The flight was subsequently cancelled and passengers were rebooked onto later services.
The Qatar Boeing 777 was not operating a passenger departure at the time. It had arrived at Sydney from Doha and was being repositioned under tow after passengers had disembarked. The aircraft therefore had no passengers onboard during the near-collision.
The precise sequence that brought the two aircraft into such close proximity remains under investigation. Jetstar said its aircraft was following air traffic control instructions when its pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came into close proximity. The airline has also begun its own investigation.
The ATSB said there was damage to the connection between the Qatar 777’s nose landing gear and the aircraft tug. Investigators will examine data from both aircraft and air traffic control, while interviewing the flight crew, tug operators, air traffic controllers and other witnesses. CCTV and other recorded information will also be reviewed.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said it was too early to determine where the communication or coordination breakdown occurred. Investigators will establish what instructions were issued, how they were understood and why the aircraft came so close before the final stop.
The incident has also drawn attention to air traffic-control staffing pressures at Sydney Airport. ABC reported that air traffic control was operating under restrictions between 6:00am and 8:00am on Sunday, limiting the number of aircraft moving through the airport. More than 150 flights had also been affected by roster constraints in the days leading up to the incident.
However, there is currently no official finding that the staffing situation caused the near-collision. The ATSB investigation will determine whether communication, coordination, ground movements, procedures or other factors contributed.
Two people involved in the ground operation, an air traffic ground controller and the tug operator were stood down for mandatory drug and alcohol testing, which the federal transport minister described as standard post-incident procedure. Their stand-down should not be interpreted as a finding of fault.
The ATSB has asked anyone with video of Sunday’s incident or its immediate aftermath to provide footage to investigators. The investigation remains ongoing.
