A LOT airlines Boeing 737 came close to hitting another aircraft over London because it had the wrong co-ordinates entered into the flight computer after the pilots then failed to understand instructions given in English by controllers, an Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) report revealed.
According to the report the 'serious incident' developed when a 'simple' error in entering the aircraft's position went undetected. The co-pilot entered an easterly longitude instead of westerly, causing the electronic navigation system to shut down.
The Warsaw-bound plane weaved across the skies, circling the airport for half an hour, after taking off from Heathrow on June 4 last year, before the co-pilot used standby instruments to return the plane to the airport. Another aircraft was forced to change its course when the Polish plane flew too close but it was not close enough to be considered a 'near miss'.
The report said the pilot had difficulty 'comprehending and communicating' with air traffic controllers and responded to instructions 'slowly and erratically'. It said: 'A number of the exchanges were misunderstood, probably as a result of language difficulties,' adding that 'the pilots had little idea of their position and, after a few minutes, they were entirely dependent on air traffic controllers for their navigation'. |
