Virgin Australia says it is "encouraged" by a report supporting the need for greater co-ordination and standardisation of flight procedures at Queenstown Airport, after an investigation into how the paths of two aircraft crossed.
Virgin Australia (New Zealand), formerly Pacific Blue, chief executive Mark Pitt was yesterday asked to comment on the findings of a Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report into an incident involving one of its Boeing 737-800 jets on June 20, 2010.
The TAIC report said a wider review of the Queenstown air traffic management system and operational procedures would be prudent, given the special features associated with operations at the aerodrome and the increasing number of commercial aircraft operations.
The commission reported a Boeing 737-800 operated by Pacific Blue carrying 88 people arrived on June 20, 2010, at the minimum descent altitude and although pilots saw lower cloud in the Wakatipu basin, the runway was clear.
However, because low cloud patches would have obstructed their manoeuvring to the final approach for runway 23, the pilots told air traffic control they would attempt to land on the reciprocal runway 05.
Meanwhile, the controller cleared a Boeing 737-800 aeroplane operated by Qantas from Sydney with 162 people to begin an approach behind Pacific Blue.
The Qantas pilots were flying a required navigation performance (RNP) approach, which allowed them to descend to a much lower minimum altitude, but Pacific Blue had not at the time asked the CAA for authorisation to use the technology.
The controller cleared Qantas for its approach based on an expectation the Pacific Blue pilots, having started circling, would land or, if unable to land, would remain in the aerodrome visual circuit.
Lower cloud was likely to have prevented the Pacific Blue pilots maintaining visual contact with runway 05, so they discontinued the circling and climbed directly to intercept the prescribed missed approach track for the instrument procedure they had flown.
They had not planned to enter or remain in the visual circuit as the controller had expected and, because of their position when they commenced the climb, probably could not have done so because of their proximity to terrain, the report said.
"The controller then instructed Qantas to conduct the missed approach for its procedure and at the maximum rate of climb, in order to maintain separation from the Pacific Blue aeroplane."
The commission said it did not investigate further whether the minimum required 1000ft vertical separation between the two aircraft was breached, because it was clear the potential for such a breach was high and it alone was a safety issue which needed addressing.
Pilots and controllers misunderstood inconsistent instrument approach procedures and circling procedures, the TAIC reported.
Mr Pitt said Virgin Australia (New Zealand) was pleased the commission recognised the airline trained its pilots to international standards and recognised its "specific risk management focus regarding Queenstown".
Mr Pitt said the carrier believed the recommendations in the report "will be beneficial for all airlines and will provide us with greater confidence as we introduce RNP-AR satellite navigation" in Queenstown by the end of the year.
