Two passenger jets, one from Emirates and one from Qantas, narrowly avoided colliding over rural Australia last year after an air traffic controller cleared both planes to fly at the same level, Australian media has reported.
According to Fairfax media, an Emirates Boeing 777 flying from Melbourne to Singapore and a Qantas 737 flying from Sydney to Adelaide almost collided above the Victorian town of Mildura after an air traffic controller cleared both planes to fly at 30,000 feet.
The planes, carrying a combined 443 people, were on a collision course that went undetected for more than 17 minutes, according to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation launched into the incident.
A report on the investigation said the planes were less than 19 kilometres apart and closing fast. The air traffic controller then attempted to contact with the Emirates pilots three times, without success, but when the gap had halved to 9.1 kilometres, he radioed the Qantas pilots to turn right and climb 1000 feet, which they did.
The air traffic controller was stood down a minute after the incident, on September 3 last year.
An aerospace engineer told Fairfax Media that, at a pace of 10 kilometres per minute, the planes were only about 40 seconds from hitting had evasive action not been taken.
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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