New Delhi: A preliminary probe into last week's midair scare on a Delhi-Guwahati Jet Airways flight that suddenly shook and plummeted for a few seconds, has indicated that the turbulence might have been caused by winds or air pocket and not by another passing plane.
Earlier, the airline had said that the turbulence was caused by the engine thrust of a Boeing 747 jumbo coming from the opposite direction, which forced the Jet's Boeing 737, a smaller plane, to shake violently and lose some height.
The pilots had soon brought the B-737 under control, stabilised it and later landed at Guwahati. None of the 134 people on board was injured in the incident which occurred when flight 9W-2280 was over Patna, but created panic among passengers.
The preliminary report indicates that there was "no breach of separation" between the two aircraft, which maintained more than the mandatory distance of 1,000 feet, official sources said.
Denying that there was a "near-miss" between the two aircraft, they said the Jet plane could have fallen into cross winds or an air pocket.
The sources also discounted the theory that the incident occurred due to 'Wake Vortex Turbulence' which is defined as turbulence generated by the engine thrust of a passing aircraft.
However, the pilots are understood to have filed a report saying that they had been informed by the air traffic control that another plane was flying above their's.
The pilots had soon brought the B-737 under control, stabilised it and later landed at Guwahati. None of the 134 people on board was injured in the incident which occurred when flight 9W-2280 was over Patna, but created panic among passengers.
The preliminary report indicates that there was "no breach of separation" between the two aircraft, which maintained more than the mandatory distance of 1,000 feet, official sources said.
Denying that there was a "near-miss" between the two aircraft, they said the Jet plane could have fallen into cross winds or an air pocket.
The sources also discounted the theory that the incident occurred due to 'Wake Vortex Turbulence' which is defined as turbulence generated by the engine thrust of a passing aircraft.
However, the pilots are understood to have filed a report saying that they had been informed by the air traffic control that another plane was flying above their's.
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