ANA flight avoids collision with military aircraft

Airline Industry Information, Oct 13, 2003

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A Japanese passenger aircraft narrowly avoided a collision with a military aircraft over an island south of Tokyo.

The Air Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 737 aircraft carrying 62 people on a domestic flight from Tokyo's Haneda airport reportedly came within 100 feet of a Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C patrol aircraft with nine crew on board over Hachijojima Island.

The ANA aircraft's collision avoidance system went off, showing an aircraft 100 feet below it at an altitude of about 1,000 feet as it was preparing to land at Hachijojima airport. The aircraft was forced to ascend but then landed safely.

The incident is being investigated by the transport ministry's aircraft accident inquiry committee, reported The Associated Press.

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