Safety Probe Opens After Near Collision at Sydney Airport

Australia’s aviation safety regulator has opened an investigation into a near collision between two passenger aircraft at Sydney Airport that injured a Jetstar crew member and disrupted flights at the country’s busiest airport.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning when a Jetstar Airbus A320 was taxiing for a flight to the Gold Coast. According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the aircraft crew saw a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 being towed by an aircraft tug on a crossing taxiway.

The Jetstar pilots were forced to apply the brakes suddenly to avoid a collision, bringing the aircraft to an abrupt stop. A cabin crew member who was moving through the aircraft at the time was injured and later treated by paramedics.

The ATSB said the sudden stop also caused damage to the connection between the Qatar Airways Boeing 777’s nose landing gear and the tug towing it.

Investigators have begun collecting information from both aircraft and air traffic control records. They are also interviewing the flight crews and tug operators to establish what happened and determine whether instructions or procedures were breached.

The regulator has appealed to passengers and other witnesses who may have recorded the incident to provide video footage to investigators.

The near collision caused disruption at Sydney Airport, with Airservices Australia reporting delays to flights following the incident.

A Jetstar spokeswoman said the airline’s aircraft had been following instructions from air traffic control when the pilots were required to brake sharply after the Qatar Airways aircraft came close.

“Our aircraft was following instructions by Air Traffic Control when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came in close proximity,” the spokeswoman said.

The injured crew member was subsequently attended by emergency medical personnel.

Qatar Airways had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the incident.

An official familiar with the initial information said the early indication was that the tug towing the Qatar Airways aircraft may not have followed air traffic control instructions. Investigators have not yet confirmed that account, and the inquiry is expected to establish the sequence of events.

The incident comes as aviation authorities continue to focus on preventing ground collisions and other safety risks at busy airports, where aircraft movements, towing operations and taxiing can occur simultaneously in confined areas.

The ATSB said its investigation would examine information from the aircraft, airport operations and air traffic control before determining the circumstances surrounding the near collision.