SA: Controller mistake plunged aircraft into rapid descent

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2005
SA: Controller mistake plunged aircraft into rapid descent

ADELAIDE, April 27 AAP - A mistake by an air traffic controller was among a number
of communication lapses that plunged a commercial flight from Melbourne to Adelaide into
a rapid descent last year, a report into the incident has found.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said the Boeing 737 was approaching Adelaide
on March 9 using an instrument landing system (ILS) when it went into a rapid descent,
falling at about 2,000 metres per minute.

The pilot managed to regain control of the aircraft, pull out of the descent and land
without incident.

The ATSB said the air crew had been directed by an air traffic controller to use ILS
even though there had been previous notifications that the system was being worked on
and was not to be used that day.

It said about 40 seconds before the plane entered the ILS glide path the pilots were
told that they were cleared for the ILS approach.

"The pilot in command acknowledged and read back the clearance," the ATSB report said.

"The controller later reported that at the time the fact that the glide path was not
available had slipped his mind.

"The inadvertent slip by the approach controller was the final action of a number of
lapses or omissions that led the pilots to believe the ILS was available, despite previous
advice."

As a result of the incident the aircraft operator issued two safety briefings to pilots
and an Airservices (Airservices) Australia investigation found that while there were adequate
safeguards in the system, many had been breached.

The ATSB said Airservices Australia had since issued 19 recommendations of which 10
had already been acted on and the remaining nine would come into force by June 30 this
year.

AAP tjd/sco/bwl

KEYWORD: PLANE

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