UK Air Traffic Control...........wutz going on??????????

[gwillie]

SCARRRRRRRRRRRRRY STUFF.....

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 41,00.html

Come to think of it, New York area ATC was in the news recently too....

hmmmmmmmmmm....so much for the 'friendly skies!

[Knight255]

More than half the incidents involved mistakes by air traffic controllers

The second most frequent cause was “confusion or poor co-ordination” by controllers

As long as the pilots follow the TCAS, there shouldn't be any problem!!! Let us not relive the tragedy at Lake Constance.

[gwillie]

As long as the pilots follow the TCAS, there shouldn't be any problem...

TCAS also has its limitations.....look what happens in "crowded" skies:
"...a...Dash 8 passenger aircraft approaching Blackpool was involved in two near- misses in quick succession with two private planes. The collision avoidance system...ordered the pilot to climb to avoid the first aircraft, but as he followed the instruction he noticed another plane 200ft above. The board’s report said that the avoidance system had “directed them towards a mid-air collision”. (mid-point in linked article above)

Now, add to such a scenario any one of numerous other small factors which have historically led to other disasters (pilot dealing with another problem, "blurring" of roles/responsibilities in cockpit, etc, etc), and you have a perfect recipie for tradgedy.

And soon we're going to have 800+ PAX in a single aircraft?

Personally, given what I see as the UK's cultural penchant for perfection, I can't believe that this situation wasn't addressed sooner!

[itsdoctorv]

TCAS also has its limitations.....

Well, only as long as not every plane out there has a Mode S transponder. I'd like two know whether the two 'private planes' involved in the Dash-8 near-miss near Blackpool carried it. I very much doubt it, they probably only carried mode C. If it's the case TCAS just did not get enough information to give a sensible Resolution Advisory.