A major mid-air collision was averted on Friday after an IndiGo flight came too close to a Border Security Force plane over Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir. While Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi was on board the BSF aircraft, there were about 180 passengers on the IndiGo flight, reported PTI.
An IndiGo spokesperson told NDTV the Srinagar-bound flight from Delhi was flying at 26,000 feet when its pilot noticed that the BSF plane was at 25,000 feet and climbing. A BSF official told The Indian Express that the two flights were at a distance of about 1 km.
The pilot immediately alerted the Air Traffic Control. However, the aircraft’s traffic alert and collision avoidance system started on time. “IndiGo pilot followed the standard operating procedures and proactively informed the regulator,” the spokesperson told NDTV. However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has initiated an investigation into the incident, reported Hindustan Times.
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