New Delhi: A Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force allegedly breached the minimum permissible vertical distance between two aircraft and flew just 700 ft over a Royal Thai Airways passenger jet, after “unauthorisedly” climbing to a height of 30,000 ft south of Amritsar on February 20, air traffic control sources have confirmed. The close shave brings back memories of the horrific mid-air collision between two airliners in the skies over Charkhi-Dadri near Delhi 17 years ago. In another incident at Delhi airport the same day, an IAF AN-32 transport aircraft looked set to land at the main runway that was closed, but an alert ATC personnel asked it to do a “go-around” and land at the secondary runway. Inquiries have been ordered into both incidents. An IAF spokesperson however said, that there were no reports of any such incidents.
