Investigation number
199500950
Occurrence date
State
Northern Territory
Report release date
Report status
Final
Investigation type
Occurrence Investigation
Investigation status
Completed
Aviation occurrence category
Loss of separation
Occurrence class
Incident

The aircraft was cleared for a visual approach to the duty runway (RWY) 11 and joined a 7km final from a right base position. The crew were advised by ATS of several military fighter aircraft taking off from RWY 29. The captain advised ATS of his position and that a traffic confliction was about to occur as he saw two of the six fighter aircraft pass above and to the left of his aircraft. The last of the section of fighters passed within 1,000 metres of the aircraft at the same level. Subsequent investigation revealed that a request for the use of a non-duty runway (RWY29) had been agreed to previously for the military aircraft, but there had been a delay with their departure. The radar controller failed to note that a non-duty runway was marked on the flight strips. Reflected radar returns were being experienced on the Surface Movement Radar and the controller misidentified these reflected returns as those of the military aircraft, and being relatively inexperienced cleared the military aircraft to take off in confliction with the approaching aircraft.

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer
British Aerospace
Model
BAe 146-200-11
Registration
VH-JJW
Sector
Jet
Departure point
Kununurra WA
Destination
Darwin NT
Damage
Nil
Aircraft Details
Manufacturer
Douglas Aircraft Company
Model
A4E
Registration
Unknown
Operation type
Military
Sector
Jet
Departure point
Darwin NT
Destination
unknown
Damage
Nil