Training jet in near-miss with another aircraft

A TRAINING jet with a student pilot on board had a near-miss with another aircraft over Anglesey.

They were only a few hundred feet apart and only had different altitudes by chance.

But there was no risk of a collision, an investigation has concluded.

The UK Airprox Board studied the incident between a Hawk T2 jet and a BE20 near Mona Airfield on October 4.

The board concluded that the aircraft would not have hit each other.

They found that “although safety had been degraded, there had been no risk of collision”.

A report found that the Hawk jet’s student pilot had been in the front seat and in control when the larger BE20 aircraft, a turboprop plane with three propellers, appeared from its right and crossed in front of the jet.

Investigators said it appeared the aircraft were at similar altitudes and were an estimated 200ft apart, but that the “altitude separation between the aircraft had been more by providence than design”.

The Hawk’s crew reported that its front-cockpit student pilot had just taken control and rolled out of a turn near RAF Mona circuit when the calibrator (white-and-blue-painted BE20) aircraft “suddenly bloomed on the right-hand side of the aircraft, appearing co-level”.

The rear-cockpit pilot took control and immediately entered a right-hand avoiding turn as the calibrator passed directly ahead of the aircraft, said the Hawk crew.

The Hawk pilot assessed the risk of collision as “medium”.

A supervisor informed them that the BE20 was meant to remain outside 10 nautical miles from Valley but had continued.

The BE20 pilot stated: “At no time were (they) concerned as to the proximity of the other aircraft.”