Near miss inquiry likely to exonerate all parties

The investigation into the near miss involving an Air Malta aircraft and a small Italian plane is unlikely to apportion blame on anybody, amid "conflicting evidence".

While tests carried out so far on the radar equipment showed it was working properly at the time of the incident, real-time audio recordings show there was nothing to indicate unknown traffic to the controllers.

The chief inspector of air accidents has ordered further tests on the airport's radar equipment in the aftermath of the near miss.

"We need to carry out all the necessary tests to make sure something like this will never happen again," Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea told The Times, referring to the April 21 incident.

A mid-air collision between a Boeing 737, on its final approach at the end of a flight from Rome with some 80 passengers on board, and a Storm light aircraft was averted by the timely intervention of the airliner pilot. Both aircraft were flying over Zebbug and Attard on an overcast Saturday afternoon.

The Italian aircraft was not equipped with a transponder and, consequently, the Air Malta pilots could not spot the impending danger on the onboard traffic-collision avoidance system, until their jet came face to face with it.

Chief Inspector Dennis Caruana submitted his views to the Department of Civil Aviation and Mr Galea following a preliminary inquiry by the DCA itself.

The DCA inquiry had concluded that the radar was functioning properly when the Italian plane appeared out of the blue. Two radar-manufacturing experts have already been brought over by Malta Air Traffic Services to check the radar recording system and confirmed that the equipment was functioning properly at the time.

However, given the controllers' claims that the small aircraft didn't appear on their screens, Capt. Caruana ordered further tests. Asked whether he intended to take any action based on the findings so far, Mr Galea replied: "The entire concept behind these investigations is not necessarily to identify any guilty parties".

Furthermore, Mr Galea said, it is difficult to draw any conclusions until the radar tests are carried out.

When contacted, Colin Vassallo, secretary of the Malta Air Traffic Controllers' Association, said the controllers were in the dark over the inquiries held so far. "However, all I can tell you is that I believe the version given by the air traffic controllers who testified in the DCA report. There were six controllers during the time of the incident and nobody saw the small Italian aircraft on the screen," Mr Vassallo said.

The small aircraft only appeared on the screen after the Air Malta pilot alerted the controllers who raised questions about the way the equipment is recording radio transmissions and radar images.

"It's not going to be easy to solve this case. It's difficult to prove the controllers are guilty when there is such conflicting evidence," he said.

Ultimately, Mr Vassallo underlined that the most important thing was safety and that such an incident is never repeated.

"If some procedure had to change, then we have no problem in doing so. We are talking about people's lives and safety is paramount."