CONCORDE AND JUMBO IN AIR MISS

OVER HEATHROW

A British Airways Concorde narrowly missed colliding with an Argentine jumbo jet that was taking off from Heathrow, it was revealed yesterday.

The two planes, travelling at a combined speed of about 500 mph, came within a mile of each other at a height of 9,000ft above Woodley, near Reading, Berkshire. The captain of the Concorde, Flight BA004 from New York, yesterday filed a near-miss report on the incident, which happened shortly after l0pm on Friday.

A senior BA source said one of the planes probably deviated from its course because of the stormy weather. "There is a great risk in an incident like this bacause the two planes would have been only seconds from hitting each other," he said.

The incident is to be investigated by the Joint Air Miss Working Group. It will examine statements from pilots and air traffic controllers, along with radar details and data from voice recorders.

It is the second time in three years that a British Airways Concorde has narrowly missed disaster above Woodley. The town lies four minutes flying time from Heathrow and underneath the intersection of flights between Gatwick and Heathrow.

In April 1987 a Concorde flight from London to New York missed a twin-engine Otter flying from Birmingham to Gatwick by just 800 yards, also at around 9,000ft.

According to one aviation expert, under normal conditions planes flying into Heathrow circle and approach at between 7,000ft and 12,000ft. Aircraft departing generally stay at 6,000ft or less until they have left the approach area. This pattern may, however, have been broken because of the thunderstorms on Friday evening.

A spokesman for British Airways said yesterday that on Friday night the flight had 19 passengers and eight crew on board. "The two aircraft were both under air traffic control and there was no danger. The captain of the Concorde was told to turn left away from the Argentine jumbo," he said.

Answer the questions to the text of the article.

a) What happened to an Argentine jumbo jet when it was taking off from Heathrow?

b) What combined speed were they travelling at?

c) Where did they come within a mile of each other?

d) What was the height?

e) What is the reason for an air miss according to a senior BA source?

f) Who will investigate the incident?

g) What happened in April 1987 above Woodley?

h) What is the reason for these two incidents according to one aviation expert?

Word building. The word in capital at the end of each of the following sentences can be used to form a word that fits suitably in the blank space. Fill in each blank this way.

Example: A British Airways Concorde NARROWLY NARROW

missed colliding with an Argentine jumbo jet.

1) The accident happened ______________ SHORT

after 10 p.m. on Friday.

2) One of the planes _______________ PROBABLE

deviated from its course.

3) The weather that day was ______________. STORM

4) The Joint Air Miss Working Group

will examine _______________ from STATE

pilots and air traffic controllers.

5) The town lies underneath the _______________ INTERSECT

of flights between Gatwick and Heathrow.

6) Aircraft departing _______________ GENERAL

stay at 6,000 ft or less.

7) The two planes were travelling

at a _______________ speed of COMBINE

about 500 mph.

8) The two planes would have been

only seconds from _______________ HIT

each other.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 780