Sydney Airport Faces Fourth Air Traffic Control Incident in One Month

Australia's transport safety regulator has launched an investigation into a fourth air traffic control incident at Sydney Airport within a month, following a near-miss on Tuesday where two planes were directed toward the same intersection on the ground.

A Qantas Airbus A321, preparing for departure, had to brake suddenly to avoid a Qantas Boeing 737 that had just arrived from Melbourne. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) stated that the Boeing had been cleared to proceed along a taxiway that the Airbus was also cleared to turn onto.

While the ATSB confirmed there was no immediate risk of collision, the incident has prompted a thorough investigation to determine if there are any shared contributing factors with three previous incidents at the airport in the past month. The ATSB plans to interview air traffic controllers and flight crew, review recorded data, and gather other relevant information. A preliminary report is anticipated within six to eight weeks.

This latest event follows a series of close calls. On July 27, two Qantas aircraft narrowly avoided a collision on the runway. On August 9, a Jetstar A320 had to brake sharply to avoid a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, resulting in a minor injury to a cabin crew member. Later the same day, a Virgin Australia 737 spotted a Qantas aircraft crossing the runway and stopped short, despite both having clearance.

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The evidence collection phase of the investigation will involve interviewing involved air traffic controllers and flight crew, retrieving and reviewing available recorded data, and the collection of other relevant information.