A Bahamasair plane. (File photo)
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
DELVIN Major, head of the Air Accident Investigation Department at the Department of Civil Aviation, said yesterday though Bahamasair pilots performed an “evasive manoeuvre” after spotting a Silver Airways plane in the area, during a flight Tuesday afternoon the severity of the situation was “low”.
His statement came after a passenger on board Bahamasair flight BHS137 expressed alarm at the closeness of the two planes.
The passenger said he was told by a member of the crew the issue related to “missed/mixed coordinates”.
Mr Major said: “I did get a report from Bahamasair and all it mentioned is the fact that the Air Traffic Control did point out another conflicting aircraft to Bahamasair and once they saw the aircraft they decided to reduce their climb because both the aircrafts were climbing to their altitudes.
“They saw the aircraft and they reduced their climb, which is the same as an evasive manoeuvre because if you keep climbing stuff could happen.
“But according to them any severity or risk of any midair incident was low because they did see the aircraft after ATC pointed it out in time and they reduced their climb rate to allow the aircraft to go by.
“From a passenger’s point of view he doesn’t realise what’s going on in the cockpit so he would say it’s a near-hit or near-miss but from what took place it’s a routine procedure.”
In a statement to The Tribune, a representative of Silver Airways also said: “We have researched Silver Airways flights that were operating during the time of the reported Bahamasair flight. While Silver did have a flight traveling between Eleuthera and Fort Lauderdale, the flight operated safely without incident.”
The Bahamasair flight had left Nassau around 5pm Tuesday. The concerned passenger said he stayed behind after other passengers disembarked and spoke to the First Officer on the plane.
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Comments
B_I_D___ 6 years, 5 months ago
Homey sciptor say 'Evasion Action'...welcome to second grade...
Greentea 6 years, 5 months ago
B-I-D. Sigh.
yari 6 years, 5 months ago
Apparently the tribune needs an editor as well as journalists. What the hell is 'evasion action'? B_I_D please stop insulting second graders.
B_I_D___ 6 years, 5 months ago
LOL...I know...my 7 year old is better...LMAO...mind you he was struggling with supercalifragilisticexpialidocious the other day...
yari 6 years, 5 months ago
He would probably write better articles than this crew..
licks2 6 years, 5 months ago
No he/she don't. . .the writer is wrong because of the use of two nouns to describe what happened. For example, evasive is an adjective and evasion is a noun. Therefore, the adjective usually tells the quality of the noun by raising questions such as "what kind". . ."which one". . . "how many" etc. Here "evasive" tells of what kind of action/noun was taken!! Now pray tell he/she could have taken evasive action.. .yet crashed into each other. But if were successful at "evasion". . .a noun. . .they both passed each other into the clear blue with no one the wary for it!! So evasive action is the action intend to evade. . .evasion mean has evaded!
ohdrap4 6 years, 5 months ago
thanks, now i understand it.
Bonefishpete 6 years, 5 months ago
“If that happened the way (the passenger) described " Oh come on. Silver probably cut in front of BahamasAir or vice a versa. Passenger think all planes come too close. Maybe one of them had to do a go around, big deal.
Recently flown on Bahamas Air. The way the pilot brought the aircraft into PBI landing on rwy 31, hardly hitting the brakes and coasting into the ramp. Not his first rodeo.
licks2 6 years, 5 months ago
You got that right about passengers thinking all planes come too close in the sky. . .on my way to Grand Bahama and a westenair plane was going to Nassau and we pass each other about two miles apart. . .because we were going in the opposite direction I could see the rapid amount of speed. . .in about one second that plane was about six or seven miles away. Well muddo sick I thought. . . I don't want that kind of speed that close to my flight. . .suppose they "buck-up" they will never find my "lil pieces"!
sheeprunner12 6 years, 5 months ago
There was a Guardian Angel on board ....... Thank you, Lord.
DEDDIE 6 years, 5 months ago
Base on the flight path of both aircraft, one from Eleuthera and the other going to Marsh Harbour, what happen is not unusual. Both aircraft either climbing or descending and flying using visual flight rules. Under visual flight rules if you see an aircraft in your flight path you take evasive action. Under visual flight rules you don't have to be in contact with Air Traffic Control unless of cause you are flying through a terminal area which didn't happen in this circumstance.
realfreethinker 6 years, 5 months ago
The Pastor was a little dramatic. he wanted his 15 minutes of fame.It was obviously not a big deal
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