Lufthansa A346 at Cali on Nov 17th 2018, language barrier with ATC
Last Update: November 19, 2018 / 23:40:07 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Nov 17, 2018
Classification
Incident
Airline
Lufthansa
Flight number
LH-542
Departure
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Destination
Bogota, Colombia
Aircraft Registration
D-AIHC
Aircraft Type
Airbus A340-600
ICAO Type Designator
A346
An Avianca Brasil (former Oceanair still using that callsign) Airbus A330-200, registration PR-OCK performing flight O6-852 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to Bogota (Colombia), also diverted to Cali due to weather, the crew heard the exchange between Cali Approach and LH-542 and began to translate between Spanish and English communicating with ATC in Spanish and then relaying the communication to the A340 in (clear) English and vice versa.
Colombia's Media report that due to the language barrier separation between the two aircraft was lost resulting in a near collision, which prompted Colombia's AeroCivil (Civil Aviation Authority) to tweet that although there was a "saturation of the control frequency" and pilots detected another aircraft in close proximity, a loss of separation did not occur and operational safety was always assured. An investigation of the occurrence was nonetheless opened to establish all details and issues.
Mode-S Transponder Data show, that the Lufthansa A340-600 entered a hold near Cali at FL240 and subsequently left the hold first landing at Cali about 6 minutes ahead of the A330. The Avianca A330 entered the hold at FL270 arriving from a different direction and after the LH had entered the hold, remained at that level until the LH had descended to FL130, then began their descent and landed safely in Cali about 6 minutes past the A340. The Mode-S data do not suggest any loss of separation at any time.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Nov 17, 2018
Classification
Incident
Airline
Lufthansa
Flight number
LH-542
Departure
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Destination
Bogota, Colombia
Aircraft Registration
D-AIHC
Aircraft Type
Airbus A340-600
ICAO Type Designator
A346
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source
You can read 2 more free articles without a subscription.
Subscribe now and continue reading without any limits!
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Related articles
Lufthansa A346 at Philadelphia on Jun 15th 2014, could not fully retract landing gear
A Lufthansa Airbus A340-600, registration D-AIHC performing flight LH-427 from Philadelphia,PA (USA) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 270 people on…
Lufthansa A346 near Black Tickle on Apr 25th 2013, electrical smell in galley
A Lufthansa Airbus A340-600, registration D-AIHC performing flight LH-423 from Boston,MA (USA) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL370…
Lufthansa A359 at Montreal on May 15th 2023, hydraulic failure
A Lufthansa Airbus A350-900, registration D-AIVB performing flight LH-474 from Munich (Germany) to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 308 people on board, was…
Lufthansa B748 at Buenos Aires on Apr 29th 2023, could not retract landing gear
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, registration D-ABYP performing flight LH-511 from Buenos Aires Ezeiza,BA (Argentina) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was…
Lufthansa B744 enroute on Apr 15th 2023, hydraulic problem
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, registration D-ABVY performing flight LH-760 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Delhi (India), was enroute at FL350 about…
Lufthansa B748 over Atlantic on Apr 3rd 2023, hydraulic problems
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, registration D-ABYG performing flight LH-462 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Miami,FL (USA), was enroute at FL340 over the…
Lufthansa A21N at Frankfurt on Mar 31st 2023, lightning strike
A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200N, registration D-AIEP performing flight LH-1531 from Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was on…
Newest articles
Aeromexico B738 at Merida on Jun 1st 2023, engine shut down in flight
An Aeromexico Boeing 737-800, registration XA-PPP performing flight AM-837 from Merida to Mexico City (Mexico), was climbing out of Merida's runway…
United Nigeria E145 at Lagos on May 31st 2023, runway excursion
A United Nigeria Embraer ERJ-145, registration 5N-BWW performing a flight from Abukaliki to Lagos (Nigeria) with 50 people on board, landed on Lagos'…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner

A new way to document and demonstrate airworthiness compliance and aircraft value. Find out more.

ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.
SafetyScan Pro provides streamlined access to thousands of aviation accident reports. Tailored for your safety management efforts. Book your demo today
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways