(No Near) Collision with the facts
Last Update: February 14, 2017 / 22:10:12 GMT/Zulu time
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Obviously this had us look into the supposed occurrence, too, to verify or falsify the event. Needless to state, that we found the event fully disproven despite the audio recording released by that service, referencing a video containing what is portrayed as an actual ATC recording producing even a transcript of the conversations.
What we found became a stunning story into how half baked facts have been woven to serve an obvious agenda.
It is necessary to annotate, that The Aviation Herald follows the policy to not publish ATC or cockpit recordings unless they have been released by the relevant Aviation Authority, hence we are not going to disclose the various audios here.
The aviation news service reported based on that video, that flight EI-433 and FR-9451 came into conflict and nearly collided producing even TCAS advisories, only sharp turns and corrective altitude restrictions by ATC prevented a collision, the separation reduced to 800 feet vertically and 1nm horizontally, where 1000 feet vertically and 3nm horizontally were required.
This report by our competitor was taken over without any cross checks by a number of British Yellow Press as well as a number of Irish media and even Chinese media, who all reported the aircraft nearly collided over Dublin.
Let us therefore cover the verified facts:
On Feb 6th 2017 an Aer Lingus Airbus A320-200, registration EI-DEC performing flight EI-433 (callsign EIN43R) from Milan Linate (Italy) to Dublin (Ireland), was descending towards Dublin cleared to descend to FL200.
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EKL performing flight FR-9431 (callsign RYR51RP) from Rome Ciampino (Italy) to Dublin (Ireland), was descending towards Dublin about 1nm ahead and below EI-433, the aircraft descended at a slower rate of descent than EI-433.
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-ENK performing flight FR-9451 (callsign RYR966V) from Treviso (Italy) to Dublin (Ireland), was descending towards Dublin about 20nm behind and above EI-433, the aircraft was cleared to descend to FL210.
When EI-433 descended through FL220 the controller recognized, that separation was no longer assured between EI-433 and FR-9431. In an attempt to avoid an actual loss of separation he instructed EI-433 to turn left. A short time later the controller amended the instruction to stop the descent at FL210. At the same time the controller instructed FR-9451 to stop their descent at FL220 correcting to the instruction to climb to FL220 as the aircraft had already descended through FL220.
The controller subsequently advised EI-433 that a Boeing 737 was descending 800 feet below and 1nm laterally from them - Mode-S data received from all three aircraft showed, that at the time of the traffic advisory EI-433 was about to level off at FL210 and FR-9431 was descending through FL192 (which means 800 feet below FL200 that EI-433 had originally been cleared to and 1800 feet actually between the aircraft). The A320 crew confirmed seeing that traffic on their TCAS display.
Mode-S data received from the aircraft did not show any loss of separation, at any given time there were more than 1000 feet vertically between FR-9431 and EI-433, and more than 1000 feet vertically and 5nm (actually about 20nm) laterally between EI-433 and FR-9451.
We therefore rejected that video rating the occurrence a "loss of separation assurance", not an actual "loss of separation".
On the audio referenced by our competition there were background sounds during the transmissions of EI-433, one being an autopilot disconnect wailer, on the next transmission a "Traffic! Traffic!" TCAS Traffic Advisory. In cross checking the recordings we found the actual communication between ATC and the aircraft, as recorded by that video, confirmed, however, none of the background sounds was available in any of the recordings we got hold of (including those of LiveATC), neither the autopilot disconnect wailer nor the Traffic Advisory were present in any other recording. It is interesting to note, that by Feb 14th 2017 the "Traffic! Traffic!" sounds and transcript were removed from the video referenced by our competitor.
Ireland's AAIU reported on Feb 12th 2017, that the occurrence was known but was not being investigated (Editorial note: which confirmed our assessment that it was just a loss of separation assurance, but not an actual loss of separation).
On Feb 14th 2017 The Aviation Herald was told that the analysis of the official radar data confirmed there was no loss of separation.
In conclusion: There was no near collision, there was no close encounter, there was not even a loss of separation. A controller recognized that his plan to line three aircraft arriving on the very same track up for approach to Dublin did not work out and took decisive and correct corrective action before the scenario could develop into a loss of separation.
It may perhaps help to understand the motivation of the video author: On Feb 12th 2017, after first analysis of the radar data, we posted a comment under the video stating the facts as revealed by the Mode-S data. As immediate reaction the video author disabled the comments under his video, thus also removing our comment from public view (the comments were re-enabled by Feb 14th). A short time later on Feb 12th ads were activated on the video obviously to monetarize the video.
Update Feb 14th 22:09Z: Following the release of our coverage the video author has removed the video.
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This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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