A potentially disastrous incident was narrowly averted at Delhi airport on Wednesday afternoon when a Vistara flight from Ahmedabad and another plane of the same airline came within 1.8 km of each other. Thanks to an alert pilot on the former plane, a collision was prevented.
After landing, the Ahmedabad-Delhi flight received instructions from Air Traffic Control (ATC) to cross an active runway for parking, while the Vistara Airlines Delhi-Bagdogra flight had been authorized to take off from the same runway.
The quick action of 45-year-old Captain Sonu Gill on the Ahmedabad-Delhi flight played a crucial role in avoiding a collision.
The planes were separated by a distance of 1.8 km, or 1,800 meters.
The pilot’s timely communication with the ATC regarding the presence of the other plane is highlighted as a crucial factor in preventing what could have been a disastrous outcome.