Qantas and Air NZ have near miss in RI

Qantas and Air NZ have near miss in RI

JAKARTA: A Qantas Airways jetliner and an Air New Zealand
airplane had to maneuver to avoid a possible collision in
Indonesian air space, the Australian newspaper
reported on Sunday, citing the airlines and Australian
authorities.

The aircraft, both Boeing Co. 767-300's carrying a total of
268 passengers and crew, took evasive action on May 22 after
onboard computers alerted crews to the danger, the newspaper
said.

The danger arose when Indonesian air traffic control cleared
Qantas flight QF188 to climb to 37,000 feet from 35,000 feet,
through the flight path of Air New Zealand flight 71 traveling in
the opposite direction at 36,000 feet, the newspaper said.

The newspaper did not cite the Indonesian authorities.

At the time emergency maneuvers began, the planes were
separated vertically by less than 125 meters and 800 meters
horizontally, the newspaper said. The near miss during the day
was in Indonesian-controlled airspace southwest of the island of
Biak, off the coast of Irian Jaya, the newspaper said.
--Bloomberg