New Delhi: This is possibly the closest a close shave can get. An Air India aircraft operating the ultra difficult Delhi-Leh sector recently was prevented by a disaster twice on the same day — once each time it was approaching to land in Leh on the two flights it operated that day — by the sheer presence of mind shown by its pilots. While communication failure at Leh air traffic control (ATC) tower was the common problem in both the approaches, an unmanned aerrial vehicle added to the problem on the second flight.
On the first approach, AI's Airbus A-320 flying in as AI 3449 experienced communication failure with the air traffic control (ATC) tower managed by Indian Air Force at this defence air field. "In the case of a communication failure, green flares are fired to ask the aircraft approaching to land or red flares are shot to communicate that landing permission has not been given. That day, the experienced pilots (Leh flight is given only to specially trained pilots) for the first landed after seeing a green flare being fired from the Leh airport," said sources.
14/12/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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On the first approach, AI's Airbus A-320 flying in as AI 3449 experienced communication failure with the air traffic control (ATC) tower managed by Indian Air Force at this defence air field. "In the case of a communication failure, green flares are fired to ask the aircraft approaching to land or red flares are shot to communicate that landing permission has not been given. That day, the experienced pilots (Leh flight is given only to specially trained pilots) for the first landed after seeing a green flare being fired from the Leh airport," said sources.
14/12/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
