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President Jagdeo was aboard Delta flight
President Bharrat Jagdeo was aboard the Delta flight inbound to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on October 7 when action by the pilot of the outgoing Caribbean Airlines flight averted a midair collision.
A report issued by Captain Gregory Fox, who conducted the investigation after the near miss, stated that there was a dangerous loss of separation, the second at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport since May. The report also noted that these are not the only such incidents that have occurred over the years.
President Bharrat Jagdeo
In the wake of the near collision, the matter was discussed at Cabinet, which took urgent action to put out a tender for $666 million worth of equipment for the improvement of the Timehri Control Tower, which according to Captain Fox is not safe, “and it is not the fault of the persons tasked with operating the system.”
The report continued, “Give them the right tools and resources and they will make it safe.”
The Delta flight, DAL 383, had left the Piarco International Airport at about 12:00 hours GMT (17:00 hours local time). The Caribbean Airlines flight, BW 484, departed the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at 12:13 GMT. At 12:15 GMT it contacted the Area Control Centre and reported out of 4,400 feet that it was climbing to 38,000 feet.
At 12:30 GMT, the Caribbean Airlines flight requested traffic information as “it was displaying traffic 500 feet above on its Terminal Collision Avoidance System.” At the request of the air traffic control officer at Cheddi Jagan International, the pilot stated that he was at 35,000 feet and climbing to 38,000 feet.
Delta Airlines
The Delta flight carrying President Bharrat Jagdeo then reported that it had “the traffic in sight”. The two aircraft were six miles apart at that time.
One controller later explained that to the person on the ground six miles might sound a great distance, but with aircraft travelling between eight and 10 miles per minute, it would take a mere 36 seconds to 45 seconds or less for one aircraft to cover the six miles.
He added that if they are on a collision course then the time is halved because of the approaching speeds.
The Caribbean Airlines flight took evasive action by turning to the right. Almost immediately, the Delta flight “reported seeing BW 484 within two to three miles and within 200 feet of its altitude, passing from west to east.” Captain Fox concluded that the Delta pilot saw BW484 as it was turning.
Caribbean Airlines
In an advisory, the covering note on the report read, “Please be aware of the results of this investigaton, and there will be a review of all controller proficiency checks to establish any trends or weaknesses in procedures or skills and abilities…All for your information and learning experience.”
The tender for the $666 million worth of equipment requested outside help. It will now close mid-month, but the equipment is not expected to arrive until mid next year.
Captain Fox was scathing in his report on the Air Traffic Control Centre. “That Guyana’s Air Traffic Control system works at all is only due to the dedication of the professionals in the ATC branch of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority and the innovative technicians who support their equipment.
“They are all working under relatively primitive conditions, with a shortage of trained staff, having trouble attracting and retaining suitable recruits, let alone retaining their core group of experienced controllers.
The GCAA had sacked most of its trained controllers some time back, after the group went on strike to protest working conditions.
One controller said that, when they requested foreign training, the authorities would say that they cannot go for training at exotic locations.
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